Robin's content... :): Family

Nature Photos

Sat, 23 Jun 2007 23:39:48 GMT

My Dad rocks. Check out this edited excerpt from his blog:

"In his famous essay “Nature” Emerson says that...

“Every appearance in nature corresponds to some state of the mind, and that state of the mind can only be described by presenting that natural appearance as its picture. An enraged man is a lion, a cunning man is a fox, a firm man is a rock, a learned man is a torch. A lamb is innocence; a snake is subtle spite; flowers express to us the delicate affections. Light and darkness are our familiar expression for knowledge and ignorance; and heat for love. Visible distance behind and before us, is respectively our image of memory and hope.”

So I wonder what the meaning of mushrooms is."

Read the full blog entry here along with some of his lovely photos of mushrooms:
http://frankwinters.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/the-meaning-of-mushrooms/

I like the first photo -- the 'shrooms look like a couple Hobbit homes nestled in a wee forest.
There's also another set that looks like they reside on another planet. Nifty!

Great Weekend

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 04:44:05 GMT

On Saturday I dug in and did a bunch of Spring cleaning and organizing in E's bedroom and my bedroom. Ah, bliss! As I put E to bed tonight I could feel how relaxed it made me feel to have everything in its place. Ahhh...

On Saturday night, we watched a classic family film that I had never seen: Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang. E balked when we suggested it -- but boy, he really enjoyed it! This has inspired us to find and turn him on to other gems from the past. It's a kick to see a modern 2007 boy laugh at jokes from 1968. His favorite scenes were the botched haircut and the bamboo dance. He's got great taste.

One other side effect of this is -- now I'm in love Dick Van Dyke! (The 38 years ago Van Dyke; he's a tad old for me now. :) What a cute, funny, sweetie; I love the way he talked, moved, sang... (she swoons....)

What a great weekend. Simple pleasures is where it's at. I truly (scrumptiously) love my life. It seems to be getting better all the time. :)

Gross

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 07:31:04 GMT

I took E to the Pacific Science Center today to check out the Grossology exhibit. Yep. It was gross. I’m not sure what we liked the best: getting sneezed on, making fart sounds or playing the Urine Game -- but it was great to spend time together. Relaxed, smiling fun; no tension, no need to be anywhere but where we were.

It was very cold and windy when we left and walked hand in hand to the car. It’s such a good feeling, his small warm hand in mine. I’d better cherish that wonderful feeling while I can. In a blink he’s going to be a big, strong man.

I love being a mom. :)

http://pacificsciencecenter.org/

Shay

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 22:16:10 GMT

I'm not sure how it is that my daughter has such a solid sense of self but she does. She's incredibly wise for her age. I could write a long entry about how she doesn't bow down to peer pressure and makes good decisions but you'd probably think I was blinded by my own need to believe this. So be it. I know I see her clearly and I trust her and really that's all that matters.

I can share this with you, though. A blog entry from a talented artist who is roughly my age and lives in CA. She too has been lucky enough to be allowed to peek into Shay's soul:

http://themoldydoily.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/01/meet_shay.html

fyi...

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 03:36:26 GMT

The worst possible things to be allergic to -- according to Elliot and Robin:

Air
Water
All Food
Clothing
Your own body
Shelter of any kind
Money
Cars (and transportation in general)
Outside (Trees, grass, etc...)
Dogs and Cats

In other words, my seasonal allergies are the 9th worst possible thing in the world of allergies!

btw: The best thing to be allergic to is (according to Elliot): Outer Space

One last Christmas post until next year

Sun, 22 Jan 2006 08:21:37 GMT

I used to live in a fancy-schmanchy neighborhood and at Christmas time all of the houses were decorated with tiny white lights. We all hauled big beautiful trees in to our homes, filling them with the nostalgic scent of pine. In every home a Dickens’ Christmas was attempted by all.

In the last year or two before we moved I introduced a new tradition. I bought a tree from a store-display shop. It's raspberry. I decorate it each year with silver bows and strands of pearls and it’s the most girly and tacky thing ever. Why give up on the traditional tree? I’m not a Christian. I celebrate Christmas because it’s a nice escape from the dreariness of the season. Nothing uplifts the spirits like a bright pink tree!

I was sad to have to take it down today. Christmas seemed to go by so fast this year.

It's all relative

Sat, 21 Jan 2006 06:21:58 GMT

I stayed home from work today stricken with the flu. I had started feeling horrible the day before at work (splitting headache and a twingey stomach) but I managed to make it through the day. By the time I got home I was in a lot of pain. My body ached, I felt a searing pain in through my third eye and I was super-nauseous. I didn’t get a lot of sleep and in the morning I felt worse. It was the first time that I asked Elliot to walk himself to school. His classroom door is just a short stroll from our house. I assured him that he could do it and I watched from my kitchen window as he strode up to the school alone – a bit of a milestone, really. He was very brave.

An hour later my phone rang. I didn’t answer it. I was too busy sinking into my mattress and pillow, the sheets wrapping me in my own cold sweat. Then my cell phone rang. Someone was obviously trying to reach me – thank goodness my purse was close at hand with my phone inside. It was a woman from my son’s school calling to let me know that it was Jammy Day in Elliot’s class and Elliot was upset because he wasn’t wearing PJs. “I’m home with the flu, could you send him home? We live right in back of the school,” I pleaded. She told me that she isn’t allowed to send children off school grounds unaccompanied. Sigh. “I’ll be right up with his jammies.”

Polar fleece. Anything made out of polar fleece found its way on to my body. I was feeling SO sorry for myself. (How can this be happening? Why can't I just be sick and take care of myself? It’s so unfair.) Do you know how I got through it? As I was getting dressed and feeling miserable I reminded myself that I’m not that woman who is being held prisoner in Iraq. It became my mantra as I plodded up to the school (I’m not a prisoner… not in Iraq… not a prisoner...) My life doesn’t hang in the balance. I am free to be as happy as I allow myself to be in each moment, even if I have the flu and I have to bring my son his pajamas.

Elliot's big day

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 06:46:22 GMT

Today was Elliot’s 6th Birthday. I can’t believe the little man is 6!

A little over a week ago, I sent out “Save the Date” flyers to everyone in his class and one of the other parents called me and said, “Hey, it’s my kid’s birthday soon too!” He asked if we’d be open to doing a joint party. At first I worried that E would feel disappointed – that Owen would steal his thunder – but when I asked E about it he thought it sounded like a really great idea. It’s actually perfect for Elliot. He’s a little introverted so I think it felt good to have someone share the limelight with him. The ironic thing is that E’s kindergarten class has two sets of twins and some of the parents assumed that Elliot and Owen were a third set. They both have very curly hair and are super cute so it’s an easy mistake to make. (OK, I admit it. I tried to mess with Elliot's head the other day. I said, "Hey... you and Owen look similar and you're having a birthday party together... Do you think maybe you two really *are* twins?!?!" He thought about it for a while but he shook his head and said, "No, mom. We're not really twins." Smart boy. That's no fun. ;-)

It was wonderful to have two other parents to help with the planning and execution. The party was so much more fun because of it! My original plan was to have a magician at my house, rent tables and chairs and, you know, eat cake and open presents. I was also going to rearrange Elliot’s play area downstairs so the kids had something to do while I set up the cake tables after the performance. Instead, Arny (Owen’s dad) managed to secure a wing of the local junior high school. Once it was all decorated it was quite festive. The kids had a great time (the magician was really good!) and after cake and presents, Arny took everyone out to launch a hot air balloon that he constructed out of tissue paper! (He’s a science teacher.) It was cool and science-y but it was also beautiful to watch it float up into the sky. I wish I had gotten a picture of it.

Honestly, I think it was the best kid’s party I’ve ever been to. All the parent’s were fabulous, too. Everyone pitched in to make the event a success. Elliot and Owen are lucky little boys! What a great day! OK, I'm gushing, but honestly this is even better than, say, a trip to Rome. :)

Check out the new photo album to the right to see some pix from the day.

Coolest Kids Ever!

Thu, 15 Sep 2005 19:05:36 GMT

Yesterday I gave a ride home to my 14 year old daughter and her friend (who is fast becoming another member of the family - we love her :-) I didn’t recognize them at first. In fact I had no idea that I was looking at them across the parking lot. What I thought I saw were two giant shrimp or pink Hershey’s kisses walking straight toward my car. (OK, my mind was scrambling to parse what I was seeing; what it came up with was a bit strange, I know.) Actually, my two kiddos were wearing identical Unicorn costumes – oh, and prancing all over our town in them! They told me that kids in the playground would just stop and stare. I’m hoping that they taught those kids what it means to let go and have FUN!

My darling one is known for gallivanting around town in interesting dress – mostly tutus that she pulled from my memento closet. (These are the same tutus that she wore in recitals when she was just entering elementary school.) There was actually a run on tutus at the local ballet shops last spring after she started the trend at her school. She’s clearly a natural costumer. Next week she’ll be starting work on costumes for her 4^th production in that role. Cinderella. Her familiarity with tulle should come in handy!

When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. -H.G. Wells

Thu, 11 Aug 2005 06:46:37 GMT

Elliot and I had an amazing day today riding our bikes around Green Lake in Seattle. This was a huge day for me because Elliot is just gaining his confidence on his bike sans training wheels so it’s the first day we could really venture out and ride side-by-side. To experience something that you’ve loved all your life with your child is, as the commercials say, priceless. A little background on me and biking: I remember my step-grandpa running with me one moment and then glancing back and realizing I had left him far, far behind. There were people, family members I suppose, gathered around on the sidewalk cheering. They went inside the house and I kept riding and riding on the sidewalks of suburban New Jersey; the sense of freedom was intoxicating even for a 4 year old. My bike was metallic gold but being a fan of both the Lone Ranger and irony, I named it Silver. After that there were many times that I would take my bike to a cul-de-sac down the street and ride around in a never ending circle with my “bird teacher” by my side. My bird teacher was an invisible old woman who was teaching me how to fly. Being named after a bird has repercussions.

What else? Oh yeah, when I was a pre-teen – or as marketing folks now say, when I was a “tween,” I would take my bike to the top of a hill about half a mile from my house. I would pedal as fast as I could, and daring fate to do its worst, I’d blast across the rather busy Mountain Avenue without stopping first to look both ways. It was a rush, it was a thrill, it was a time before bike helmets – but as my Mom always tells me, I lead a charmed life so here I am, brains and skull intact. It was only later when my husband introduced me to mountain bike riding down “gnarly” trails did I experience this same thrill with a bit more of a safety net. I’m a complete whimp when it comes to most outdoor sports, but for some reason the bike makes me feel safe.

So now I beam with pride to see my little boy pushing past his fear of starting and stopping his bike to arrive at a place of contented bliss as he cruises along. Truthfully however, I know I’ll miss this phase once he has fully mastered his bicycle. At present every time he needs to stop, he first makes the same frantic motion, shaking his legs on either side of his now wobbling bike, but quickly gaining his composure as he squeezes the brake hard with his hand and slams his feet down onto the pavement with a big, pleased grin that says, “Yes!!! I did it again!”

Ps. I’ve become more sedate in my late 30’s. I own a retro Electra beach cruiser that I can only take out on flat smooth terrain, making a ride around Green Lake or out to the winery in Woodinville perfect. Now when people race by me I wonder what all the rush is about. All we’ve got is time; might as well enjoy the scenery... in an upright position on a big cushy seat, I might add.