let the rains begin...

i just knew that mentioning the sun would make it go away! (sigh) as soon as i posted, it turned gray and has been raining off and on for days. before i even packed away my summer dresses, i've been pulling out my wool socks. it's official. summer is over! but it's been a good run, i must say, and there are things to look forward to... fall has always been one of my favorite seasons. besides, our neighbor's plum and pear trees are finally ripe, and he's fond of francis and lets us pick. it really does give me a little twinge of the olden days, a rarity in this city life: picking only enough fruit that we can eat for that day. every day we walk inside with a little handful, and enjoy them fresh from the tree. wonderful.



francis and i walked to school today, in the morning gray... i mentioned that this is the last year that we will be walking this walk, for next year he is off to middle-school. (as yet to be determined where.) he is already extremely excited for middle-school, he can hardly contain himself. and then he went on to tell me how he and some friends were "googling in the dictionary" for the definitions of some words, during school, and i said: "hold up! did you just say "googling in the dictionary?" and he looked at me confused, like: yeah, duh! he totally didn't get it. googling, apparently, has jumped the ship of the internet, and become it's very own word. our children are growing up ultra-modern.

the sunday before last, it was scheduled to be sunny and hot. ( the last rays and days of sunshine...) in one of our many efforts to keep our kid a kid as long as possible, we took him to the puyallup fair. it really was just for francis. we haven't taken him there since the first time we took him, when he was 5, if that's saying anything. but i started to feel selfish, because the only reason we haven't gone is because we didn't really like it, or rather, the reality outweighed the nostalgia if you know what i mean. couldn't be bothered to go again. the long drive. the crush of people. the expensive rides. the noise. but this year, something hit me, maybe it's sinking in that we don't have much longer with him, where he actually wants to be with us; we have little of his childhood left.

so in a feeble effort to make up for past years, we bit the bullet, made the trek, and took him to the state fair. and he absolutely loved it! and i must confess, we had a blast too. dana jill came with us, the sun was shining strong, and we took delight in his delight. everything is still magical to him. his eyes and ears were dazzled by a monkey show, a draft-horse competition, a cannonball man, a crazy dangerous juggler, "mutton-bustin'" (our first time ever even hearing of such a thing, let alone seeing it firsthand! go ahead, google it! we were laughing our butts off, only francis was a little sad we haven't come to the fair earlier, when he was younger, so he could have done it too, because now he is too old) and then of course, all the farm animal exhibits, the rides rides rides, lemonade, elephant ears, and the futile games that suck up your money quicker than you can drop it on the ground. (more pics on flickr.) for a kid, a glorious day, you wish it would never end.





and then last sunday, (i know, i know, we're really cramming in these last ditch efforts of summer) we hit the race-tracks. it's end of the season for emerald downs and i've been meaning to go since last summer, but this was our first time ever going. i'm only bummed we didn't do it sooner. this was in the week of gray, but the rains stopped, and the sun came out for the afternoon. as soon as the races were over, i'm not kidding, we didn't even make it to our car yet, where we were hit with a torrential downpour, the likes of which seattle doesn't usually see. (i don't mind THIS kind of rain!)





and of course, back to school again. this month has been so crazy busy, stuff going on almost every single day... i'm already looking forward to october, because nothing's on the calendar, except: my sisters wedding! (we'll be flying to chicago the first weekend, and it's gonna be a blast!) and then...

curling up for the long hibernation...

go take a hike!

you know, i just realized i never blogged in august what we actually did in august. oh well. too late now. i was too busy blogging about our europe trip, and haven't gotten very far. i think i'll have to make them a bit shorter, or it's gonna take me forever, or at least until next year. so for august, pretty much, if it was sunny, we were outside until the sun went down. greenlake. alki beach. baseball. reading. swimming (or trying to), hanging out with friends, etc... regular summer relaxing sort of things, taking it easy, just like everyone else. and it ends all too soon. now we've reached september: which means: back to school, and schedules, and soccer games...



but to kick it off, this year, we did something totally new and different: we got out of town with karen and kevin and friends for the whole long labor day weekend. rented two little cabins near the north cascade national park, and lemme tell you: that was a whole lot of fun!





we relaxed! reading in a hammock, playing badminton, cook-outs, capture the flag, staying up late, sleeping in, waffles and coffee, listened to old-time radio programs, played scrabble, baked and ate brownies... greg and francis did their first fishing together (which unfortunately i have no pictures of: cellphone died! but did take some with greg's camera), the sun came out, went away, rained, came out again,(which made me very happy!) we picked blackberries, K & K took us to the lake diablo overlook (spectacular by the way), and on the last day (monday) we all went for a hike. let me tell you a little bit about that. they, the other cabin, said it was just an "easy" hike, "only 3 miles" there and back, so-and-so's "60 year old parents did it", so, ok, fine, i thought. plus, francis really really wanted to go with them. he would not be left out! going around greenlake is 3 miles and takes about an hour. so i thought we might be gone a few hours...thought it might be a nice stroll thru the pretty forest, etc, etc, etc...



i think maybe i misunderstood their definition of the word "hike", which actually meant: UP THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN! TO THE TOP! TO SEE THE GLACIER ON THE OTHER SIDE! suffice it to say: i was dying! so out of shape and so out of breath, but francis was a little mountain goat and kept up with all the super-hiker-backpacker-people up front, while i labored and lagged behind at dead last. (however, i DID stop to smell, and take pics of course, of the flowers!) greg kept me company, and took a whole lot of pictures too. when we reached what i thought was the top, (you'll see, more pics on flickr) it was only the top of that part of the mountain,



and then the trail traversed the tip of the ridge into the distance where you could see it no more, and our friends were little specks on the horizon, and francis with them! which was fine for me, except that on the other side of the mountain we had just climbed up, was a very steep and very long rocky hill of death or severe maiming, awaiting you, if you fell down it.



so that was a little nerve-wracking. and it was very windy up there. and bitterly cold. i had a bit of vertigo and some real fear. i wondered how much i would embarrass greg if i crawled on my hands and knees, but the trail was too long. so i just walked VERY CAREFULLY and eventually got used to it. i was doing ok until the trail we were on DISAPPEARED into the mist. then i got a bit panicky and thought the view was sufficient from where i was. but greg wanted us to stick with the group, besides francis was with them, so on we went. and on and on... luckily the mist cleared a bit and on the other side we could see again, (which is always nice)and they were all parked at this outcropping, overlooking the glacier, which was even bigger close up. it was literally right below us.



so we quickly ate, and froze, and got all stiff, and then commenced the hike back down, which actually wasn't any easier--my legs were shaking before we even got off the ridge. i felt like my legs were pulling along the dead weights of my feet and was afraid i might trip on them, and perhaps induce the long long roll to my death. felt much better on safe ground, where grass grows on both sides of the trail, and again, was dead last, but karen was kind and kept me company. they had asked me "how was it?" when i had got to the top, and i said cheerfully: "you know, it kinda reminded me of that time i gave birth, when the doctor said "almost there!" and then i had to push for 2 more hours!" hahaha. so, it was pretty hard, but it was good, and very beautiful. we even saw marmots close up, both on the way up and back down, and could hear their whistles, calling and answering. it took 6 hours round trip, and francis was amazing. he had so much fun. he skipped along ahead of us, with the rest of them, all the way up and back; i barely even saw him on the hike at all. but, in the car ride down the mountain, it caught up with him; he was passed out before we even got out of the woods...

ready or not...

what can i say? somehow the time has just flown, and francis is done with school in 6 days. crazy! and yes, he is counting down! i think we are ALL ready for a summer that will hopefully dole out some sunshine, because, let me tell ya: it's been scant around here!

we've had weeks and weeks of gray, and rain, and baseball games rained out, and then the make-up games rained out...i don't know if seattle knows that it's actually june, i think it thinks it's still april, and May wasn't much better. (sigh) but one good thing was we didn't feel guilty for all the movies we've been seeing! perfect for rainy days! iron man, prince caspian, indiana jones...all in one month, and summer not even officially here yet! what a summer for the kids! we thoroughly enjoyed these movies along with francis, who was literally on the edge of his seat, every time!

i'm trying to wrap things up before school is over, and that means: all my spring cleaning that i procrastinated on is now a mother-lode chore! i've got post-it notes cluttering up the kitchen, and when i get to take one down and throw it away: success! you'd think that with all these gray days we've been having, that i'd be done by now, but no: when it is gray outside, it does not inspire me to clean. it inspires me to read and drink coffee and be lazy, and so i did manage to finish the lord of the rings trilogy. but when it is sunny, and the apartment is bright, THAT is when i get the gumption(sp?), the energy, and the will to get some things done. strange, i know. most people like to go outside when it is sunny, and i do too. but i also like to clean when it is sunny. so, i finally cleaned our bedroom, where the dust had been forming a nice solid layer (so gross!) and it felt so nice to sit and read in a clean, and tidy room, with the sun shining. francis was in a reading marathon, and could not put down "the Hobbit" until he was done. that's been so nice to see: him getting so into reading a book that he doesn't want to do anything else. he is now halfway done with "the fellowship of the ring" and wants to finish all three books this summer!





francis helped me spray-paint a big iron outdoor coffeetable, that we collected for free off the side of the road. it was rusty, but we cleaned it, and sprayed it down with this rustoleum paint, and now it looks as good as new. when the sun shines in our "back yard", we like to sit back there and eat and drink and read and play... (more pics on flickr)





on memorial day, after a glorious sunny saturday and sunday (it was a 2 day special only) it was back to gray, so i thought going to the zoo would be a nice distraction. i naively thought it wouldn't be crowded; wouldn't everyone be at home, enjoying their families and having BBQ's? nope! everyone was at the zoo, too! not our cup of tea. we like the zoo all to ourselves, so we did not stay too long. too crowded. too loud. even francis commented on it. we must have tainted him with our own preferences, because pretty soon, he wanted to go home, too. but we did get to visit the new creatures at the zoo: the flamingoes. they cracked francis up. you'd think they'd be a nice, quiet, regal bird, as beautiful as they are, in their familiar one-legged stance. but no. we were shocked at how noisy and feisty they are (they honk like geese), fighting constantly for food, and their whole area stank like a cooped-up bird house, even tho it was a brand-new habitat, and outside. startling. but they were still beautiful. i think it must be God's sense of humor to give such a boorish, pushy bird hot-pink feet.



and maybe it's because he's an only child, or maybe it's because he's still really just a kid, francis really wanted a stuffed flamingo. huh? i was suprised because what 10-year old boy wants a pink stuffed animal? but i caved, because first thing that popped into my head was suprise, and then "he's probably not gonna be asking for stuff like this very much longer." so many times he can get under my skin, acting like a pesky wannabe teenager, trying out attitude to see what it does... that when he is acting like a kid: i just want him to be a kid! and do kid things.so i said yes. and of course, he carried that flamingo around all day. (someday: he's going to be really embarrassed by these pictures! haha! but thankfully, not yet...)

school's out for summer!

so today is francis' last day of school. two months of summertime fun, just waiting to be started, as soon as it is sunny and warm. better have some "plan B" back-up ideas for the abundant gray and chilly, as is today.
raising a city kid in the summer is a bit tough; it forces one to be organized, (which i'm not) and it forces you to leave the house everyday. granted, when i was younger, (in highschool actually but all my siblings went younger all the way down to 2) even tho we had a big yard and a pool, we had a membership to the community pool and would go there virtually EVERY DAY. it was community for my mom to be with other moms, and it was community for the kids...no one was left out. my dad would often go straight to the pool after work, and meet us there for a picnic dinner and a refreshing dip.
i think i could easily be a pool-membership summer mom. however: have you noticed how many people in seattle have swimming pools? EXACTLY. it never gets truly hot enough here to warrant a personal pool, and the 4, count them, FOUR city pools are swamped with swim lessons, and the "public" swim time is only an hour and a half mid-morning, then you must exit, and pay again for the hour and a half mid-afternoon segment. (sigh.)which is why we frequent Green Lake any day there's sun: it's free, there's people, there's sand, there's water.
still, francis gets a little bored/lonely there if there's no kids to latch on to, and i admit i'm not the best mama at playing games with him. he just wants to play catch for like 3 hours. (sigh.)
so, it is that time of year when i remember the carefree days of being a kid in the summer, where there was heat, and flash thunderstorms, running around in the warm summer rain, catching fireflies, and a neighborhood full of kids...and sometimes, ok alot of times, i struggle with what to do with francis because we have none of those things here in seattle.
this summer: i want nature, and art, and science, and playtime to somehow all come together...in that way that rural kids have leg-up advantage. sometimes i'll drag a mexican blanket out onto our "side yard" and we'll read under the trees and look for four leaf clovers, because some days going to a park just seems so cumbersome, when all you really want to do is relax in your backyard. when you don't have a backyard, you have to get a little inventive. i can't blame seattle solely for this, because for years greg and i harbored little dreams of living in new york city, or brooklyn, so i guess, being the city-dwellers that we are: i just have to accept the fact and decide what i'm going to do about it. one summer at a time...
i think this summer i'll be making a list: all the places i want to take francis, all the places he wants to go to, and the Green Lake days that will happen by default. on top of the regular bike-riding, and swimming, and zoo and parks, i want to be diligent in keeping up with summer reading, and trips to museums, rainy afternoons of drawing and (cringe)crafts. (what kind of crafts/busy work does a 9 year old boy like to do?) i want to really scale back on the videogames somehow, and pursue the flights of imagination. somehow. i'm open to suggestion. i'll let you know if anything really clicks. i want francis to have a care-free, fun-filled summer. one that will provide fond memories for when he's older. i'm trying to steer clear of boredom; it's something like a grumpy grandparent that i've learned to live with, but i don't want it for francis. when he says things like he said yesterday: (we saw a raccoon on our way walking to school; it was at the rear of a house, just sitting there in the backyard, licking itself casually, and francis got so excited: he asked me to take a picture with my cell-phone (the raccoon sadly, is but a dot)and exclaimed with wonder: "i've never seen a raccoon IN THE WILD before" and i had to suppress a laugh, as we were a block from 99) i just want the wonder and splendor of life to be at its childhood best...


planting my purple clovers outside our window

(francis wanted me to show you the city raccon. can you see it on the sidewalk? if you click on the photo, it becomes just a tad bigger and you can see it better. i walked back the same way, and it gave me a bit of a fright as it wasn't in the back on the house where we had left it, but was ambling down the front path and then sat on the sidewalk, where it proceeded to continue licking itself, calm, old, and tired.)