And one more thing...

Thanks to the blog visitors from Salem, Walla Walla and Minnesota who didn't give up on me during the March funk!

A boy and his pig

Here's a cameraphone shot from our trip to Seattle. The dad and the boy walked all over Seattle, and my parents and I walked all over Virginia Mason seeing ALS specialists. That night I joined the guys on a walk to Pike Place Market (the market was closed, but the pig was there) and the Spaghetti Factory. The next day Dad rested up from all his appointments while I joined the guys on a walk to the ferry and a ride to Bainbridge Island. That night we went up the Space Needle, which I was shocked to find was $37 for the three of us. Is it just me, or is that a lot??

I even managed to talk the spouse into a visit to Uwajimaya, where I bought three packs of origami paper. After we came home, I made 17 origami boxes and 5 cranes. (This origami outburst was apparently part of the March funk, because I'm over it now.)

There's nothing more heartwarming...

...than a boy and his fake dog. Or maybe I should say fake aunt's dog. Or borrowed dog.

We don't have a dog.

I [heart] barns

When we're driving in the country I can't help sticking my camera out the window for barn pictures. Or wishing we'd brought it along.

Boo Radley tree

Somehow I always expect to find little messages tucked into this tree.

ALS fundraiser

Charlene (also known in our family as "the angel") organized ALS fundraisers and helped with a luncheon in celebration of my dad's 9th anniversary with Principal. Here she's presenting him with a check to be given to the ALS Association in his name. The employees at Principal raised over $1,500.

Dr. Jane's visit

The Quite Fabulous Dr. Jane Goodall came to Pullman, so we naturally had to go. She was inspiring like church. The boy and I signed up for a group and are trying to think of some Roots & Shoots projects. The line to meet her was so long that for her to sign our book, she would have had to sign until about 4 a.m. So we settled for a picture of her and Mr. H.

Excuses, excuses

I do have them.

1. March funk.
2. Lost camera.
3. Out of town for a week.
4. Unicel. While my new phone is way sexier (sooooo cute, and opens like a Star Trek communicator) than my old one, I can't e-mail photos to the blog now, and that used to be my fallback for vacations and procrastination updates.

Below the mantel

Above the mantel

One great day

We thought a drive to Pendleton would be beautiful today (snow on mountains and everything). It was a little foggy for the drive to be perfect, but we went to the Tamastslikt museum and saw an amazing percussionist (who played a beautiful song on a plastic hubcap he'd picked up by the road on the way here) and an even more amazing Native American storyteller (who told some spellbinding stories especially for Ethan, who asked "Do Indians ever use songs to tell stories?"). After this we were starving (it was about 5 and we'd missed lunch), so we went to a cafe in Pendleton and had super good pizza. And root beer. Mmmmmmm. While a bunch of banjo, bass and fiddle players played folk music. On the way home the moon was huge and gorgeous...and deserved a better camera.

Crazy Hair Day

Much improved departure time

Things are definitely looking up.

So nice to come home to

For a while I was thinking we needed a dog, but the cats do come running to the window when we pull into the driveway...

Long day at work

It has lately been taking 2 or 3 days for photos to arrive from my stupid Cingular phone (this one arrived two days after it was sent!) . Which is going to make it easier to bear the fact that stupid Blogger doesn't support photos being sent from Unicel, my new cell provider. Still, it's sad because that's why I signed up for the unlimited photo package!

Meanwhile, since we're between providers for a couple of days, there are 5 working cell phones in this house. Obscene, isn't it? Just think of the children somewhere in the world without even ONE cell phone! A mere three years ago I was vowing never to have one.

Now, I think I'm going to conference call myself from a few of my cell phones or something. Because I can. Also because I am too wound up to sleep.

Lousy picture, great tail sculpture

Simple backyard makeovers

Somehow we got a whim to go to the home show tonight (driving two hours to spend about 90 minutes there...), and this was probably Ethan's favorite exhibit. Dream on, kid.

I've missed a few days with the photos. Work, getting new cell phones, making plans, etc. March is going to be a crazy busy month.

So many thank-you notes

Ethan and I kept busy this evening choosing photos and writing messages to send to his party friends. I know, we're a little late, but at least it is getting done. I found this cool site that lets you create a custom postcard and mail it online. The 4 x 6 postcards we're making are only 84 cents, which includes printing the photo and postage. I may never buy a card again.

Navajo kitty

Cliff's dad did the weaving. Pretty cool, huh?

P.S. Lateness of posts not exactly our fault...Monday's and Tuesday's messages didn't transmit.

He calls this working

I'd rather be reading Jane Austen too.

Bonus photo: Ella!

For obvious reasons, her shelter name was "Got milk." But that was too cute for us. Not that it matters; it isn't like she answers to it or anything.

It's not just for wheelchairs!

Ice cream, blue sky

Life is good.

Casual-challenged Friday

My popular parents

This is just a little of their Valentine loot--a bouquet of 18 balloons from the ALS fundraiser at Principal Financial. Cool, huh?

I'm way 264 my Valentine socks!

Loads of homework

Poor kid...he's only 8. But things get backed up when you are the Daydreaming Boy with the ADD Mom. Sigh.

And yes, tomorrow we will make him wear a different shirt.

The Orca Party

The Neverending Birthday

Grandparents party last weekend, parents Thursday night, cousins this weekend, church today, friends tomorrow, grandparents next weekend...when will it all end?? Fortunately, he agreed to ask his friends to bring books to donate to Children's Home Society instead of presents. I highly recommend this! Last year, we had the kids bring cans for the food bank. We don't have as many toys to store in our not-that-big house, and taking in all the cans to be weighed was a blast.

Three kids and a cat

A cousins sleepover! The talking went well into the night, but it doesn't seem to have damaged them.

Oliver Garden

He doesn't call it that any more, but when we told him he could go anywhere for birthday dinner, this was his choice. It was a great evening except for hitting a large bird (hawk? owl?) on the highway, which scared us to death and tore off a windshield wiper. We didn't even have time to slow down.

Happy birthday, Sweetie!

Last night's photo

The camera-tossing photos on Photojojo looked a lot cooler than mine.

Lion, King

Ethan's class put on a play for church, and well, he stole the show. (This is my completely unbiased review of the production.) His buddy Adam was a lion.

Extracise

Ethan has become obsessed with racking up steps on this thing, and tonight I made him promise that he would force me to join him. When he does 100 steps, he has to make me do 100.

264

Sometimes Ethan finds Samantha's pop music a little puzzling. She has this funny song, he told us, with a guy who sings, I'm 264 my shirt, and I'm 264 my car, and I'm 264 your party.... "What's 264?" he wants to know. At least she mostly listens to old enough stuff that we can figure out the lyrics.

One of 16 origami killer whales

For the orca party. In case anyone wonders how I keep busy in the evenings.

Do you know why I'm doing this?

Here's a Jan. 31 make-up photo...

Child skates slowly up to Becky holding this pose. She takes his picture, assuming that is the idea.
"Do you know why I'm doing this? I wasn't just posing for a picture. I really am that good."

Broke the streak

It's true. Jan. 31 was a bust.