Collage of Good Times

a.k.a. Vacation 2007

The next day of our vacation:

We packed and checked out of our hotel rooms. We headed to the store to get some food for a day at the beach. By the time we were done shopping, we were ready for eating! We stopped at a park and ate, and went on our way with happier tummies and children.

We went to Sunset Beach. It was as cold, no, even colder, than two days before. My kids didn't even get wet, between the chill factor and their sleepiness.

Everyone still found a way to have fun. We were all together, and that was good enough!

There was swimming, there was digging, there was running, there was castle-making, there was boogie-boarding, there was wave hopping, there was sandy-creme puff eating, there was shivering.

The younger ones had the hardest time with the constant and very strong wind. And there was sand in the eyes for all of us.

When it got close to dinner time, our little family had had enough. We sadly packed our things and said goodbye.

It was time to head back home.

Thank you, cousins, for all the fun and memories!

Introducing...

with baby Benevolence, then about 3 months old

My Dad

This smarty-pants is quite a guy.

Recently retired Professor, avid music lover (classical and oldies, especially), great bedtime-story reader, and persistent fly killer, he's always a hoot to have around.

I talked to him before Father's Day, and asked him some questions about being a dad and grandfather.

Here are a few gems from Dad, aka Grampy, BitBit, andDongy.

One of his biggest joys in parenting?

Getting everyone together, and everyone brings their extra years of experience apart and as individuals and families. You sort of strike sparks off of each other. But that's superficial, the differences. It also brings out a deep strain of similar backgrounds and experiences.

I could just sit and watch and listen for hours, and I can't even help participating sometimes.

What was the best thing about being a father to 6?

Undoubtedly it's seeing the enormous unpredictable diversity in talents and abilities that 2 sets of genes can make. There are common themes and threads. Every one of you is a distinct personality, but some things like music and writing I see surface in each of you but in different ways, with very different forms of expression.

Who's your favorite kid?

I would not ever, ever pick a favorite kid. When ever I'm with any one of you alone it's just wonderful - a great meeting of the minds. Like the last time I visited (our oldest sister), we talked and talked and kept saying the same thing at the same time. Over and over.

Thanks for the interview, dad!

Oh, indeed! I'm used to being interviewed.

Ha. That's funny.

Happy 66th Birthday, Dad!

We sure love you!

It was a miracle - all 10 kids dressed, fed, and ready (in matching Mickey shirts, thanks to an awesome Aunt) bright and early after a bit of a late night. We piled into the van and parked in Pinocchio - a choice spot. We got our tickets just a few minutes after Disneyland opened at 8:00.

The morning was spent going from ride to ride, taking kids to potties, and putting little ones down for naps in strollers.

I'm a bit of a scaredy-cat. Ask anyone. I am not a big ride rider person. But these kids, on the other hand, were up for anything and everything.

Three of the cousins got to participate in a Jedi training. The force was with them, and they defeated Darth Vader.

We hung out with the likes of Buzz Lightyear, Snow White, and Jasmine.

We saw the parade, and let me tell you, it didn't disappoint. I didn't think I'd care about characters walking down the street. I didn't know about the floats, and the dancing, and the acrobatics, and more. It was quite a show.

We ate, and it was good. Dinner was Clam Chowder in a bread bowl for me. I want more right now.

The kids were amazing and sweet and happy and fun. There was almost no grumpiness or tears. We even kept them up late until after the Fantasmic fireworks show in the evening. It was worth it.

But, oh, the thought of getting all these bodies back to the hotel was almost too much for me. I was ready to be done.

Tyler and Mademoiselle stayed at Disney until it closed. The rest of us successfully returned to the hotel rooms.

When Mademoiselle and The Funnest Daddy in the World finally returned, well past midnight, I expected some sad stories from an exhausted girl. I was wrong.

She cuddled next to me. She told me everything they did with the happiest smile and the most excited voice. She kept up the story as she drifted off to sleep.

It sounded something like this:

matterhorn...teacups...splash mountain...

churros...dumbo...ice cream...

This is BarredRockRooster. That's what he is. That's also his name. You just say it fast like it's one word.

Actually, BarredRockRooster is dead. Yep, sad news. Sometimes things like this happen on a farm.

He was my favorite. Just look at him! So beautiful!

Even though he was a pretty guy, he didn't act like it. At least, not to us. He was the boss of the barnyard, that one.

He really ruled the roost.

Now the roost is ruled by Cowboy and his posse.

The difference between

BarredRockRooster and Cowboy?

BarredRockRooster knew how to treat the ladies.

Cowboy is still a little rough around the edges, if you know what I mean.

Our first night of vacation brought my brother and his family. They joined us at the hotel, and stayed in the room next door. How I love reunions!

Cousins remembered each other. Some discovered new and strong bonds. They talked and played and climbed and hid and laughed and tickled. What a wonderful thing cousin-friends are!

They brought us leftovers. These were not your mamas’ leftovers. Not close. It was like our own little catered affair. We ate delicious sandwiches on some great bread. We also ate a yummy pasta salad with fresh basil, tomatoes, and little mozzarella balls. A fresh fruit salad was a great light touch. And, oh, the cheesecakes. Don’t forget the cheesecakes!

But, that’s not all! We were given a surprise from my sister-in-law’s friend who so generously shared the bounty.

A cinnamon crème bundt cake. Mmmmm…

After the eats and the catching up, we watched the Disneyland fireworks from the hotel balcony. We were double-faked by two almost-finales. The show was that good.

The kids all went to bed and dreamt of fireworks and Mickey Mouse.

I, on the other hand, didn’t sleep much at all.

I was too excited to sleep!

S.A.M. hunkered down. My camera

kept sleeping on the job, so there aren't many

great pictures.

We drove straight to the beach. We hadn’t seen the ocean in three years.

Mademoiselle loved to run in the waves. She hopped in the air as they broke. She ran back and forth and back and forth. We had to call her back to us. She just wanted to keep running.

S.A.M. tried the water but like the sand better. He waded in with us and gave it a fair try. He went back to the beach. He dug, he lay, he rolled, he played.

Benevolence had a lot to look at from his perch in my front carrier. After a while I let him down. He took off, zoom, right to the water and in. Over and over. He loved to play in the sand. He didn’t mind eating it, either.

We wished for a little less wind and a little more warmth. We were fine when we were in the water, but when we got out, we shivered and shook.

How did you like the coast?

Dear Friend,

I'm going on vacation.

A real family vacation, which includes time with cousins, visits to the beach, and even an amusement park!

But I am not leaving you to the dreary day-to-day. Oh, no I'm not.

Below are a few little links to places I think you might enjoy. Grab a minute or two and an iced lemonade and take a visual vacation, on me!

First stop - the coast!

Second stop - eats!

Third stop - window shopping!

Fourth stop - get in touch with a friend!

Fifth stop - learn from the locals!

Whew, I'm exhausted, but also refreshed. I hope you had a nice trip, too!

I'll be back next week with lots of pictures (I'm sure) and maybe a few little stories.

Meet Cowboy.

He's our Cochin Rooster. See Cowboy's mottled coloring? It reminds be of an old, weatherbeaten, sunburned, freckly, dusty cowboy. See the feathers around his feet? They remind me of spurs.

That's why I call him Cowboy.

genius

“A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the luster of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his.

“In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. Great works of art have no more affecting lesson for us than this. They teach us to abide by our spontaneous impression with good-humored inflexibility than most when the whole cry of voices is on the other side. Else tomorrow a stranger will say with masterly good sense precisely what we have thought and felt all the time, and we shall be forced to take with shame our own opinion from another.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson “Self-Reliance,” 1844

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - there's nothing so good as a scrumptious omelette made with fresh, organic, homegrown eggs. (and don't forget the cheese, please.)

A dog that once was a chicken eater can be taught to abstain.

A dog that never gave into that particular temptation can eventually succumb.

Yesterday we ventured into the nearby town for some shopping. While waiting in the car for daddy to return from a store (that happened to be next-door to DQ), Mademoiselle said to me, "Moo-ooom, I'm so thirsty and hungry and ice-creamy!"

I always knew that must be a completely seperate category.

There’s a new site in town, and this one you really should check out. I always wish that I could be a little more “in the know”, and now there’s no reason not to be. The best sites, deals, products, ideas, videos, articles and, yes, even blogs, are easy to find when they are reviewed and voted on by, well, you.

sk*rt, hasn’t even officially been launched (that is coming up on July 27th at BlogHer), so for once you can really be part of something fun, new, and useful before everyone else has heard about it.

After a long week away, Daddy came home. The kids were so excited to see his "wee-yoo" work truck driving in. Mademoiselle couldn't contain herself. She was all squeals and wiggles. Daddy stopped his truck across the field from us, though, to talk to someone who was working on the irrigation. She couldn't wait a second longer. I could see it. I told her to go ahead and run to him. She ran and squealed the whole long way into his arms.

Home at last!

We love to take walks up the stream. Sometimes we tell ourselves we’re just going down there to sit and relax and let the kids and dogs splash around in the water. That never happens.

We always end up walking and walking. There are so many sights to see – the tadpoles, the baby kites, the water beetles, the tracks left by thirsty animals, the flowers in bloom. And there is always the hope of something else around the next bend.

We end up staying much longer than planned. We end up getting much dirtier than anticipated. We come home famished and thirsty.

And blissfully happy.

will and contentment

“So it was that I came to the conclusion that the ordinary everyday perception of things which serves us pretty well when going about daily practical affairs is not the only kind of perceiving that the mind can do….Only a tiny act of will was necessary in order to pass from one to the other, yet this act seemed sufficient to change the face of the world, to make boredom and weariness blossom into immeasurable contentment.”

Joanna Field A Life of One’s Own, 1936

If the dogs have been swimming in the pond, and wrestling on the muddy banks, and are coming over to share it all with you, run.

If the dogs have been wrestling with a day-old dead lizard and are coming over to share it with you, run. Run fast.

It’s fitting that my first recommendation be for a family member. But this isn’t just nepotism – my long lost cousin Amy Adams has a portfolio that stands on it’s own. I love her multi-functional pieces, in particular the bowls and baskets. The simplicity of form and color can compliment a variety of home décor styles. It takes a lot to survive in the New York design scene, and perch! has what it takes. Over the last few years, her distribution has spread far and wide – it is likely her pieces are available somewhere near you. I'm also looking forward to seeing what cherp! has to offer.

Daddy shaved S.A.M.’s (3) hair for the summer. After looking in the mirror and seeing the big change, S.A.M. went up to daddy, patted his leg, and said, “It me, dad. It otay. It me, "S.A.M."-boy! It me!”

Our clothes drier kicked the bucket, bit the dust, and took itself for one last spin. I thought at the time that it was probably the last big difference between our life, and the pioneer life of the Ingalls family.

Of course, I’m exaggerating a little. We have electricity most of the time. And I get to wash my clothes more than twice a year or whatever because we do, in fact, have a washing machine. And a dishwasher. And a telephone. And this here computer.

But enough splitting hairs. It’s a rugged life, I tell you. We’ve got the animals to feed and care for, the yard and land to tend to, a garden to water and weed and plant with seed, and children to rear.

We also live in the middle of nowhere, with no visible signs of civilization, if you ignore the occasional “wagon” passing on The Mother Road or the almost constant rumble of trains passing by.

Hair-splitting, again.

More similarities between our family, and the family Ingalls? They had Jack, their beloved guard dog, and we have Max and Lucy. They raised chickens, we raise chickens. They sat in the evenings and listened to Pa's yarns, we dance in the evenings to Daddy's favorite music. It was a rare and special occasion for them to pack up and travel to town. Our weekly trip to the nearest Walmart is equally special.

I hang my laundry out to dry, feed the chickens, keep the children in constant sight, respond to the dogs’ every whine and howl, pick peas from the garden and more and feel just like Ma, working hard all day. .

There are brave moments, and every day seems to be hard work just to survive.

And then the water stopped. In our house. In the pipes in the yard. Nothing but air.

More than 24 hours (and a few gallons of cough-syrup tainted water) later, and we have water again. Rust-colored water, but water.

I love water.

And my good, loving, kind, hardworking little family.

little tip: don't store your water on a shelf that has a hidden spill of cough syrup from the previous residents. it doesn't have to be visible be flavorful.