Fall here in Everett is lovely and full of birdsong! We are enjoying the crisp cool beginning of the season as we prepare for colder weather to come. The boys have already picked their Halloween costumes. Big surprise (a bit sarcastic) Jonas is going to be superman, his favorite! Ronan is going to be a giraffe. We tried to convince him to be a shark because there was an awesome costume for one, but he picked the giraffe. One of his favorite books is "A Giraffe and a Half" by Shel Silverstein. He pronounces it ji-HALF (a mixing of giraffe and half).

Today I am on the final turning day of recovery from a nasty cold. The whole household is coughing, sniffling or over-exhausted because of a bug. Finally today I begin recovery though and I'm exhilarated! I have already been productive this morning. I went to the doctor in the morning because of an ear infection that wouldn't quite heal completely and discovered it has healed, but my ear needed a bit of cleaning. That done, I feel much better! After the doctor I went to my favorite cafe (at the library) to do a bit of writing. I'm on chapter II of my very first novel and it's going well. My characters are leading me and I know it'll be a long road but I feel like my story is worth something and that is good.

It's a beautiful, sunny day and I think we will go for a walk when I get home. Jake, our lab, needs the exercise and I'm sure my cabin-fever suffering children need the fresh air as well! I hope your day is full of just as much fun and promise!


The picture of Jake was taken by Jonas when he found the camera. Remarkable, I think, for a 4-year-old. Point and shoot cameras, gotta love 'em!

Coincidental Meetings

Just out shopping for groceries the other day I met another Mama in need of 'Mama friends.' Neither of us even had our kids with us! But mothers will talk about their kids and once this young woman and I started talking we discovered that we were both in need of more time with other mothers. Time to sit and chat while our kids play, or to talk about resolutions to toddler tantrums and such.

It's nice to find that I'm not alone in this random search. This woman grew up here but has a family when none of her other friends does, so they don't understand. I've left my 'mama friends' behind in Arizona and am slowly finding them here.

I ran into one another such 'mama friend' and neighbor of ours at the library today! Wonderful to find people when you're not looking for them, at least not consciously. Good turn around to a grumpy morning!

I've started!

My selkie story is underway. The first draft of my first chapter is done. It isn't perfect but it's there. And the story goes on. I'm working! I'm writing! And I'm off to begin chapter two right now. So here's an unrelated picture for you all, because I've been too busy working on my book to put much up on my blog!:

How old are you Jonas?

Yesterday my first-born child turned four! Everyone always says that time passes fast and your kids grow before you're aware that they've changed. It's more true than I ever imagined. Jonas is four!

We started the day with Aebleskivers (Danish spherical pancakes) hot from the pan. I made three batches, thinking that we would have them left as snacks for the rest of the week. Ronan quickly showed me that this was not going to happen though because he kept eating them all morning. We were soon completely out of them!

While I was cooking Jonas opened his presents: Roller skates from us, knee and elbow pads with gloves to go along with his skates from great grammy Sheehan, construction tools and equipment, posters from auntie Laura and a pig bouncy ball from Natalie. Jonas was bursting with glee! He promptly attempted some skating and kept his skates (knee and elbow pads and gloves included) on while he began to test his construction set.



At 1:30 we had a party for Jonas at the Imagine Children's Museum in Everett. We enjoyed pizza, juice, wonderful cupcakes and a great company of friends and family there. The kids played with construction blocks and ran around the rooftop adventure and finally we all returned to the house for Jonas' custom, homemade, superJonas pinata!


It was a whirlwind of adventure and fun for our little man who is now old enough to anticipate and count down the days to his birthday. I'm so happy he had such a blast

Beginning again, and again, and again

I keep putting it off. Sometimes I wonder whether I really want to be a writer. But then I remember the fantastic dream I had the night before and realize that I must put these stories down before I forget them. Then I forget them, because I put off writing them down. It seems to be some seriously vicious circle with me. Is it scheduling? If I make myself sit down at a certain time every day will I finally start to create my writing voice? Is it pure laziness, or even just motherhood getting in the way?

Will I ever finish my bilingual children's book or begin to form my novel? Here's the main solution I have: Begin again. All I can do is make a plan and do my best to stick to it. Mom, Laura: I think I will try the due date thing again if you're up for it! I will give myself assignments and send them to you both.

Assignment number one: Chapter one! Yes, I know, ambitious. But I've already started it. I just need to follow it through and see where it takes me. Expect to see a beginning of the selkie story, an introduction to Mara, by next Sunday, Jonas' birthday, October 3rd!

Visiting the Reptile Zoo in Monroe

Washington weather is not exactly what you would call predictable. Despite knowing that it rains a lot here we were taken off guard by raining weather in the midst of nice sunny summer weather. In our need to get three cabin fever driven monsters out of the house we decided that it was time to visit the Serpentarium in Monroe.

We thought it was a bit of a long shot because it was already 4 o'clock. If the zoo closed at 5 we would have little time to explore. But as it turns out, they have spectacular summer hours. They don't close until 8pm! So we had plenty of time to check out all the amazing reptiles they housed.

The first thing you feel upon entering the Serpentarium is the heat. Reptiles like to be warm so the place was a bit smothering in it's warmth. We walked in, payed our entrance fees and then began to be amazed. The variety of snakes and other reptiles that lived in this place was incredible! A green ANACONDA! She had a nice look at Ronan and then Pocho promptly picked him up and moved away from her enclosure. Pocho's not one to trust a bit of solid plastic when it's trying to contain a gigantic monster of a snake! There was also a beautiful 21-foot long reticulated python, several beautiful boas and many spectacular vipers, cobras and rattlesnakes. Even living it Arizona and visiting the Desert Museum numerous times I have never seen a western diamondback rattlesnake as huge as the albino one they had at the Serpentarium.

Proud mother and step-mother that I am though, the best part of this trip was watching how amazed the boys were. Ronan kept roaring at all of the alligators and large snakes as if they were dinosaurs and Jonas was fascinated! Francis too was amazed and transfixed by the collection of tarantulas (I know....not reptiles) that were on display. They all (except Pocho) touched a nice little rosy boa that I held.

This will be a place we visit many times I'm sure. Although, perhaps not with daddy as it seemed to make him more nervous than amazed. It's a chance to safely come face-to-face with relaxed and spectacular monsters!



*Sorry about the clarity of the photo...It was taken from Pocho's phone as we forgot our camera.

New Songs

I don't know whether it is due to his recent involvement in school (pre-kindergarten) or he's just bored with my usual repertoire but my eldest son has lately taken to asking me to invent songs at bedtime. After we read "Where the Wild Things are" he wants a song about how monsters stomp. Or another night after reading a book with bird characters in it he wants a new bird song. Usually his requests relate to the book/s of the evening.

While this is a challenging exercise for me I can't help but think what a marvelous opportunity at improv. My son (at his current age anyway) is going to love whatever I sing for him so I might as well work on my improvisation abilities. Tonight was monsters stomping. What will my new song for tomorrow be?