Tacoma is For Lovers!

This is my second craft fair with this group and they are so fun! All Tacoma artists and crafters, we spend the day at King's Books socializing, swapping crafty ideas, and trading goods. It is so fun to have an outlet for selling the Fresh Laundry dresses. I was on a sewing frenzy last week and made 20 new dresses, some of the fabric is so ridiculously sweet I could eat it. Oh to be 4 years old and dressed from head to toes in pink and red apples....

Leo Love

From winter to summer with my biggest boy.

I can always count on Leo to wake up with me at the crack of dawn. Or is it wake me up at the crack of dawn? We do catch some beautiful sunrises though.

The nastiest of nasty colds kept him home for more than a week in February. Time well spent with his little brothers, lots of PJ days and it even snowed! Two wonderful things that dont even seem that great when you feel like poop.

My old bunny suit suits him just fine!

Signs of Spring! We love to shout this on our daily walks to school.

Spring break at the beach house.

First Bremerton to Seattle adventure, by foot and ferry.

Being the oldest and biggest has it's good days.

Finally June arrived. Ben turned 35. Leo graduated from Kindergarten. Summer sort of arrived. Our garden has grown massively. We had a classic and satisfyingly prosperous yard sale. We have started bowling! We had a best of Tacoma AND Purdy 4th of July. We have become addicted to ice cream cones, camping, Phinneus and Ferb, playdates, and zumba. We have a loose set of summer rules that keep me partially sane 1. No more sweats when you hang out with Mama, unless we are going to tball or zumba. 2. If you cant say something nice, dont say anything at all. And that's about all I have the energy to enforce. There were more, but I would feel really anal and self centered actually seeing them printed in front of me. And so far, I just love hanging out with the boys, the chickens, the garden and our friends. Summer is so fun. Superfun in fact, which reminds me, Camp SuperFun started this week with a smash. We had planned to screen print tshirts and make dream catchers. It went exactly as according to plans. Katy screen printed in her workshop that opens to the backyard where I made dreamcatchers, the backyard connects to the kitchen where Mary made margaritas. Meanwhile the kids happily ran around playing with each other ecstatic over Camp SuperFun. Leo has asked at least 5 times, "When is the next Camp SuperFun?!" To be continued....

And How to Catch a Chicken

First, choose the nicest chicken in the flock.

We call her Fern.

Make it fun for the chicken, play a little game of ring around the feeder.

Reevaluate.

Clap your hands excitedly hoping the chicken may react like a friendly dog.

Just go for it, show her who's boss!

Compliment her on her slippery, silky, hard to get a good grip on feathers

Dont give up!

Yes!

She really loves him once she realizes he just wants to snuggle.

Abe's turn!

Abe

Well, we've been a little busy.

I wish I had an extra head and a few more arms, maybe if I did I would not lose my keys inside my car in the parking lot at Fred Meyer with three boys asking "did you look in your pocket?" over and over, and "can we have a popsicle now?" over and over. I unpacked the groceries 3 times, took the bale of hay out of the car (yes, a bale of hay), reorganized the library books, swore a lot, cried a little, left Ben a rude message, and then found them under Abe's seat where I had already looked many many times. Needless to say, sometimes I get frazzled. Lately when we go to the park I make everyone wear RED. ha!

Summer has been lovely so far, as long as you're not into sun that is, and I am totally not so it is peachy.

We went CAMPING for summer solstice! We have a tent the size of a Brooklyn apartment and I have penned a master list so I will never have to try to remember all of those 300 things that we cannot leave home without. We went with mostly moms and 15 kids all together. It was truly the most fun, relaxing, beautiful time, I will do it again at the drop of a hat if anyone is interested.

We have been to the beach house where I cannot resist taking pictures at the breakfast counter. The breakfast counter is the new staircase I guess.

We have a small urban farm in our backyard, complete with six chickens! But more about that later, the chickie-babies deserve a post or two of their very own.

We have finally broken into the organized sports scene! Look out tball coach, as soon as you turn your back Abe will grab the batting helmet and run the bases.

I turned 35! I did a lot of vintage shopping and have become re-addicted to the Goodwill and the mysteries it might behold. I also got scrubbed at the spa and spoiled by those who love me.

Alas, Abe is awake, but here is a story of photos that will bring you up to date on his baby life. He has gone from baby baby to baby on a mission to become a boy.