Paradise Found

We just spent 3 days at Paradise Point in San Diego. We tired Julian out by providing nonstop activity and stimulation such that he fell asleep at 6 pm the day after we returned.

("How did he sleep after falling asleep so early?" you might ask. No worse than usual. He came in our room at 3.30 am to gleefully announce that he just had a dream in which he and Scarlett were chasing Boots and Dora. Um, go back to your room and don't make any noise until 7 am, please.)

The cousins got some time together, and I read a book, not a magazine, for the first time in almost a year. I was reminded that down time is really more "down" outside of my own house. I must seek out more of this.

More pics of the weekend are here.

40-year old fuses

Ryan just found these in our garage. The previous owner had written a date with pencil on one of the packages. That date is 9/20/68.

I didn't even know they had pencils back then.

Why these new pics are brought to you by Facebook

Through Facebook, I recently hooked up with an old friend from gymnastics/jr high, Sharon Montrose. I learned that she is a professional photographer in LA and I instantly fell in love with her work. She specializes in animals, especially dogs, but also shoots kids for various parenting publications. I don't even love dogs (I only like them okay), but Sharon makes them look so charming.


(You can buy this piece from Sharon on Etsy.)

So, I asked her to write up some tips for RookieMoms.com, which she did. Now we have a delightful photo tips page.



I was myself inspired to take a different approach to snapping pictures of my kids by looking at Sharon's work. I just took a bunch of pics of Scarlett in the tub where I focused more on capturing the event and the aesthetics of the bathroom setting as a backdrop to a toddler's exuberance in the tub. I dropped the obsession with capturing her eye contact and smile. I think I got some great shots in terms of composition. (They are a bit grainy due to the lighting challenges of the bathroom.)

Tell me which ones you like.

Skeleton Veggies

Better late than never.

I took a picture of the veggie plate at Julian's birthday party because I wanted to share with the world the cuteness of this crudite skeleton I ordered my brother to make for our Halloweenish fiesta.

He did an excellent job and I thank him. Now. In January.

Cycle For Survival

Many of you know that Jen Goodman Linn, a friend of ours, has been fighting a rare cancer for several years now. Recent news that her cancer has returned is a disappointment to us all. Jen has let us know how we can help and Ryan and I are taking action.

Jen and Dave Linn created an event called Spin4Survival, an indoor team cycling fundraiser held in January 2007. She envisioned an event that would “reward and challenge the mind, body, and soul” — one that would eventually become national in scope. The inaugural event was an inspiration for all who attended. The second annual fundraiser far surpassed projected goals, with more than 120 teams “geared up to battle cancer,” including worldwide satellite teams. In total, the event has raised more than $800,000 and has grown into the fundraiser now known as Cycle for Survival.

“The fact that this event has directly benefited patients motivates me to keep going,” Jen said. “We’ve gained momentum, and we’ve already changed the way we’re fighting this illness. I have great hope that this will ultimately lead to more treatment breakthroughs and higher survival rates for those with rare cancers, so that more of us will live to tell our unique tales.”

This month, we'll ride as part of a satellite team in the Bay Area. It would mean a lot to us and to the Linn and Goodman families to have your support. (That means dollars.) Click here to donate and stay tuned to find out how we did.

Merry Christmas Day 2008

Julian and Scarlett love them some christmas!

Bubblicious

Why 4-year olds are weird:

They make up languages
They wear rain boots in the dry summer
They stick their fingers in their noses absentmindedly
They come in your room at 3 am to invite you to come into their rooms
They want to eat rice with their fingers
They don't believe it is wonderful to be invited to lay down for an hour in the middle of the day
They make 5 or 10 horizontal lines in their capital "E"
They say "nipples!" and giggle when their shirts are off

Or maybe it's just ours.

Genetic study

On the left, I am pictured in the tub, circa 1974. On the right, a printout of Scarlett earlier this year. Comments?

Birthday 4.0

Four years ago today, I was sitting on the couch, 11 days past my due date, barely able to breathe due to all the space my fetus was taking up in my torso. And two days later, Julian arrived, making us parents.

On Wednesday he'll have his third birthday party of the season. His first was with my cousins and his second was this weekend with his friends. Dinosaur digging in the sand table, mini-pumpkin hunting, and cupcake eating were enjoyed by all the kids. See all the pictures if you need proof.

Partying with Scarlett

Untitled from whitneymoss on Vimeo.