Running for Cover - The Rain is Here

 Rosy is a little  packrat  and won't sleep unless she has a  bunch  of  books  and her blanket  and her  animals. Once she finally does get to sleep I usually have  to wake her up for the after  school pickup.  She usually stays mad until Rocky actually comes out of the school then she follows her around  and  mimics her  big sister who has  to say goodbye to every kid  she  knows.  All the kids always laugh because she  says it like they should all know her. 

We had  just vacuumed the floor and were having a treat after family night so I made them  all sit  in  the kitchen to keep  the crumbs under control.   Rocky told me that she was just thinking about things in the middle and Daisy said, "Like me!"  I  know how  you feel sister.
Rocky has been  doing the loose front tooth chew lately.   I can't believe that it is still hanging on.

 At this rate she will be 15  before it  finally lets go.     In the meantime she has a pretty cool snaggle tooth that  practically pokes you in the eye when you look at it.

 Don't believe  anything about this picture.

 The rainy days have made for  some  pretty fun covered patio tea parties.  Our sweet Saudi Arabian neighbors always provide  all kinds of  treats  for the kids.  Most days they are out playing and come  home covered in Oreo cookies.  Part of me wants to keep the sugar away but an even bigger part of me  wants them to have  that fun old feeling that we used to have in the  old  days when I was a  kid and it was okay for neighbors to give out cookies.  Arif is the favorite of  all the kids.  He is the dad  that is always out playing  with everyone and has an especially soft spot  for Rosy.   

 Yan had a surprise  birthday celebration for me  and we all got sick from eating so much coconut cake.

 Chef Cuzine is still bringing in some pretty great  business.   The new addition is  that when they are  working  in their  restaurant  they go by their chef names.  Rocky insists on being Jaquel.   Daisy has  had a few different  names but hasn't settled  on  one officially.  They have been calling Rosy Georgie but she doesn't seem to understand that they are talking  to her so  it  may or may not  stick.    The thing that hasn't changed is that they are still serving all kinds  of beautiful foods.

Georgie the Baby Dragon

Ashland

 The Rigbys hit the road and headed south  to Ashland.   We were lucky to have the  chance to attend a baby naming ceremony at a Jewish Synagogue there.   Our little Penelope was given the name Miriam and the whole thing was extremely beautiful.  I will never forget how lovely it was to be able to watch such a significant  moment in her life.  I wasn't sure if cameras were appropriate so unfortunately I didn't get  any pictures with the honored child  or her mom my dear friend  Abbey so  you will have to be content with the few I took while  we were hanging  out in Lithia Park.

Ashland  is known  for  its lithium  water.  It comes  out of these fountains bubbly  and stinky and  of course the kids thought it  was just about the coolest  thing they had ever seen.

 We  hit the park  just after Pride parade and there were rainbows and wild costumes everywhere we looked.  We also saw some ducks and a  few deer.   Once again I missed my chance at photographing the thing that  was actually interesting.

It was a great little mini vacation and even though it was exhausting  I will never forget it.

Mamas and Babies

Can you figure out which kids go with each mom? 

Until Next Year

The school carnival ended up being on the same day as  the last Oregon Track Club 5k and surprised does not  describe the shock that I felt when Rocky made the choice to  do the race.  It worked out for her in the end because she  ran her best race and won hats and shirts and also got a whole bunch of  pizza.  The night was lovely and full of friends. 
The real star of the night was Daisy who ran her little heart out.  She and Bijoux were supposed to take  turns riding in the stroller but she was  a little trooper and  took one for the team by  running the entire  way when her friend didn't want to give up the  seat.
Rosy sat in the other  seat and complained for three miles that she wasn't going to share her water.   She isn't really into the races so much.   But she sure looks good in that hat, and she managed to polish off  two huge  pieces of  pizza.  She probably  could have charmed them into giving  her  another if  we had let her.
 We are already excited  for next year.

A Pinch of Ginger

 

I  emerged from the  shower to  find  these sweet smelling  footprints.  They led me  to the source of  the trouble.

BUSTED!

I am not sure what this face means, but I am sure that I see it all  the time. 

The end  of the story is that we won't be cooking with  ginger  anytime soon.

At Farmer John's

Daisy and  Teacher Stormi

 We went with the Head Start kids on their  field  trip to the farm.  Farmer John is  the heart of the place and is as generous as he is kind.  He lets the  kids pick  apples, flowers, pears, pumpkins and  all  kinds  of gourds and squash.   I  think I just feel connected to  the place  because he makes me think of my Grandpa Ike.  

 Once we got home we were inspired to take a look at the last remains of our little garden.  We have one tiny little sugar pumpkin still growing and  a bunch of perfect little  carrots.

The thrill of  the  harvest.

You can't really tell from the picture but Rocky's  front tooth  is just  about to fall  out.  I told  her  that I am a little bit  sad because  then instead of her cute little teeth she is just going to have a big  gap.  Her  response: It is cool to have a gap because  then you look like  an old  lady when you are still a little kid.
I  hope  that  philosophy hold in her life and she will always think it is cool  to look like an old lady.   

Is She Still a Baby Dragon?

 Our little  Rosebud turned two.  Is she still  a baby?   As far as I know dragons have much longer lifespans so she should be a baby dragon for another 15 years or so.   I could be wrong because I really don't  know that much about them.   I will have to check with my niece Joanna who is an expert in these types  of  things.
I still think she is a baby but she doesn't agree.  She thinks she is old enough  to run the show.   It is clear  that she is two because one morning she woke up very talented at throwing fits.   It was almost  like she had snuck out and attended a training on how the cliche tantrum is performed.  She kicks her feet and rolls around on the ground.  I know that when Rocky was at this stage I thought it was horrifying but now it just kind of strikes me as humorous.    Especially because she loves  to wear  pink cowboy boots  and it is just a little too delightful when they are  kicking around.  It is the same trick with the  pigtails.   They make her mischief seem endearing somehow.     

To celebrate we took her to the zoo  in  Portland.  Mostly we were out there picking Brandon up from  the airport  (thank goodness, we missed him  so much) but it seemed to be a good way to celebrate the birth of our little animal. 

 It  was a  good choice because she was enthralled with the place.

 Daisy was so tired that she just  sat hugging this post,  refusing to move.  We just left her there.   Hopefully the zookeepers are keeping her fed.

Rosy is a pretty awesome kid.  She figures out how to do anything she wants and has no trouble keeping up with the bigger kids.    She is adorable, obviously.  She speaks a crazy little language and has an accidentally (I think)  foul mouth. 

She has this whole family wrapped around her  finger  and we love her  so much.

Hero Up

 We had a fantastic time running our second Hero Up.  I was all ready to sign up for the 5k but Rocky begged to  do the 5k.  She  ran  her little buns off and I was a pretty proud mama.  

 Rosy wasn't much of a runner when it came to the kids race, but she sure looked good in her boots.
I couldn't have been  happier to  see so many friends.   It was like a high school reunion except that it was fun and I was excited to see every one of the people in attendance.

 Afterwards we went to check out the Saturday Market in  Portland. Conveniently the superhero costumes double as excellent garb  for playing in  the fountain.  You may wonder how we got  Rosy's tights off  without actually taking off  the leotard.  Let's just say that it might be her super power.

 We watched the Duck game at the Funk's house, which I like to refer to as our summer home on Lake Oswego.   We spend so many nights there that we basically share ownership by now.  

 Of course we had to get our hair did by our favorite stylist.  And there was one pretty epic pajama party that happened after all these kids finally went to sleep.  But you know what  they say, what happens in Lake  Oswego...

I didn't  take a picture but I should have one of me hanging out with Katrina.   She is such a wonderful friend  and when I think of being in her home I am filled with cozy, happy,  contented feelings.  It was a perfect weekend filled with friends which was good because it was  also the beginning of two weeks without Brandon.  I won't go into details but I will say that it was  a  good  thing  that  I had  been enriched with  love and  support which filled the canteen that got me  through the desert.

Back to School

 Of course  we were  running late on  Rocky's first day of school and  I  still wanted to take a  picture.  Daisy and Rosy refused to move out of the way so I conned them into taking a picture in front of the Chef Coozine kitchen.   I am stuck with the old tradition of the solo shot in front of the door.

 

It will come as no surprise to anyone who has ever met this girl that she had no trouble adjusting to the whole day schedule.  She would go to school from dawn to dusk if  she could.  When she got home I asked her how it  went and she hesitated and then said, "It was pretty much amazing."

Daisy went back to Head Start for another year.  Clearly Brandon doesn't have the same rules as I do about the tradition.

 Rosy was clearly also  happy to be there.  

I find  it hilarious that  we  have to take  Rocky to her school on  the  other  side  of town but  Daisy rides the bus an hour to the school that  is  less than a mile from our door.  If we could  only work it out  the other way my life would  be much less hectic.   I like to complain about taking Rocky to school because it makes me seem  like a really good mom, especially because I am doing it so that she can be in the Spanish immersion school.   I don't usually admit in  public that Daisy has to take  the bus to the U of O campus which is basically next door.  That might make me look like a loser.    It is  all about the presentation folks.

The Last Days of Summer

 We spent the entire month of August going to Amazon Pool almost  every day. 

 It is kind of the happiest place in Eugene.

 Before going back to school Brandon wanted to make a special recipe with each of the girls.  They poured over  their kid cookbooks and decided on treats.  Nobody was surprised.  Daisy made frozen chocolate bananas and Rocky picked  candy sushi.   Usually these things end up with the girls working for about 3 minutes and  me finishing up on my own.  This time Rocky stuck in to the very end.  

 Rosy picked  yogurt pops flavored with the local blackberries that we picked ourselves.

For the last couple of  years we have  been going to the same picking spot.  This year I think it got too hot because there was only one or two good bushes.   The rest were all shriveled and tiny.  While I didn't  get the  haul that I would have liked the berries we did get were  incredibly sweet.

 We had a good system going.   I would reach into the brambles and grab what I could, hopefully being poked by as  few thorns as possible.   When I would get about an inch of berries in my bucket the girls would trade me for their empty one and eat everything that I had just picked.  I was working away for an hour or so and basically had nothing to show for it  except a couple of  cute messy faces.   Brandon didn't have as much help as I did so it  ended up being a win for everyone.  The girls got that nature  experience  that I keep reading about in parenting books and they know that fruit doesn't grow in supermarkets, and for my part  I have enough frozen berries to at least get us into November.