With some initial reluctance on my girls’ part, I trapped the kids in the van for a few long car rides and made them listen to the first Harry Potter, as narrated by the talented Jim Dale.  A few pages in, they were all hypnotized.  We listened to it several times before we watched the movie (we have all of the DVDs at the cabin). 

Watching any movie more dramatic than PBS is like giving Kyla an ecstasy and speed cocktail—she runs up and down stairs, hides behind furniture before running outside to do a few laps around the house and climb a tree before she peeks back at the screen and does it all again.  Piper gets close and closer to her mama and says she’s scares but can’t stop watching. Wesley sucks his fingers and gropes the person closest to him (whether or not he’s watching a video). 

But they all loved it, proven by Wesley finding my witch’s hat with our autumn decorations.  He grabbed it and ran to the bathroom.  He came back in a moment with his shirt off and bathrobe on, saying excitedly, “Mama, I’m wearing my Hogwarts robes!  I’m a wizard!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Piper wasn’t going to stand for Wesley going to Hogwarts before her, so she ran to her bedroom to get her best witch clothes and posed for me with the hat.  Later they all found the adult-sized Gryffindor robe and tie that, ahem, is in my closet and wands that had previously been mistaken for sticks. It was a fun afternoon with my little witches and wizards!

It didn’t happen until the end of July, but we have a new deck!  It’s made of a Trex-like material, is about twice as big with a bump-out just begging for a picnic table, and could support an elephant.  Please don’t test this theory, but I’m a bit giddy about not falling through the boards anymore on the way from the kitchen to the grill!

The same company that tore out and rebuilt the deck also put in a firepit.  Dwayne used up some old pavers lying around to finish the edges.  We had to wait several weeks for burn ban to lift, but earlier this month, we got to christen it with hotdogs and s’mores.

My awesome dad gifted us with an old set of horseshoes and built the wood frames for the pits.  You’d think he was a smart old man until I tell you he rashly came over to the cabin last weekend to “celebrate Dwayne’s and Kyla’s birthdays” and ended up putting them together and digging out the dirt to set it up. Shoulda waited unitl all the work was done before venturing over, Dad—you should know that by now! The poles are a regulation 40’ apart, and so far, Dwayne and I can comfortably throw about 38’.

“We” also completely disposed of the stumps, brought in topsoil, covered grass seed with some peat moss, and in an afternoon, the days of Stumps and Pissy Wives were over.  Just a note, instead of grinding the stumps for $700, we decided to take 100 times as long and probably twice the cost and did it ourselves. Lesson learned.

But the good news is that Pissy Wife was completely transformed into Happy Wife when, while I was getting peat moss and seed, I spotted our new deck furniture.  It’s not the picnic table I want to get, nor does it follow my rule of being used, recycled, or handmade, but I like it, it fits perfectly on the deck or around the campfire, and now it’s ours. Currently, it is in the shed, waiting for a coat of marine-quality varnish…and spring, but I’m excited to sit out on the deck without having to drag out living room furniture!

 

  

It’s only interesting to us, as the owners, but while we were having a load of topsoil delivered, we also ordered 3 yards of 5/8ths minus with binder (note to self: get 4 yards next time and the same gravel) to fix up the driveway. 

 

And this little guy is our new mascot.  He supports a special needs group on the island and looks forward to greeting guests and also more seasonally appropriate neckwear (next time, Benet*, I promise).

* Benet is the bodyguard in The Magic Thief trilogy by Sarah Prineas.  The cabin’s name, Heartsease, also comes from the this series. 

I’d heard from two reliable sources that I should explore Ebey’s Landing, up near Coupeville, so I took the kids up there for a Day of Adventure.

 

The Ebey family settled about 160 acres — years ago, one of the first white settlers in the area.  The family has all died out, but the homestead has been preserved as a historical site.  Kyla and I really liked the house-cum-museum, and then we walked the mile trail across the fields, to the bluff and down to the beach.

 

 

Kyla entertained herself, and me, by curating a seaweed collection.

 

Look for this shot to make it into the cabin’s collection of island photographs.  There was such a heavy fog bank that it was hard to see beyond the grass in front of us, but when it cleared, we could see Port Townsend across the water.

   

I didn’t love Ebey’s Landing as much as predicted, but I’d go back again.  Central Whidbey is beautiful with much to do on that part of the island!

If I totally ignore the snake-in-the-house incident, the cats have proven themselves quite worthy.  They have brought us at least 5 moles this size (jumbo) and several little moles since this spring.

I actually forgot Julie’s birthday on the actual day (sorry, Julie), but I did take their kiddos for two nights to the cabin around that birthday.  I can’t think of a better present to give a stay-at-home mom!

Wesley and Parker are still best buds when they’re together, even for 48 hours straight.  Cecily still demands her Pipey Mommy, and Kyla oversees them all. 

We spent a lot of time at the beach…

   

After a day like, we have an evening like this:

There’s a couple of kids in the neighborhood on the island that love it when our minivan pulls in to the driveway, so I often have an additional two kids to supervise and feed.  I now just plan for this whenever I pack up to head over.  But it’s pretty fun for all.

A friend gave Wesley a clown nose, which has been pretty fun. At least until he found another place to put it on.  Must, must, must be a boy thing.

 

Ahem, this makeshift nose is bigger.  Is this a boy thing, too?

 

Neither Wesley nor I can say why he’s putting a brick down his pants.

He’s all active until he wants his refueling snuggle with Mama.

  

 

This shot cracks me up. I love how he prepped for his street island adventure.  And then decided not to come inside to use the bathroom, and just remove his underwear instead.  I’m still scratching my head…while laughing.

 

The girls simply climbed on the garbage cans to break into the house (that’s the garage keypad he’s reaching for).  I like Wesley’s improper use of his bike.

What happens when Wesley gets my camera.

This is from preschool.  The picture on the left is captioned “I am dancing for my mom and dad” as drawn in September.  The right-hand one is from May and says, “I am walking cat, Timmy.”  He drew himself in his underwear.  It may be one of the few bits of evidence that he occasionally wears said clothing.

 

Wesley poses at beach and then is distracted by his water gun.

 

And sometimes the kid just melts my heart.

What does Piper love more than her cats?  Any dog she can beg, borrow, or steal!  Papa Jim brought Daisy and Duke to the cabin, and Piper crushed hard on Daisy.

She’s a sweet little thing, even when being terrorized.

 

Yellow Rose

by Kyla, age 8

Mom you are like a rose

when you are mad

it hurts my heart

like a thorn pricks my finger

but your thorns soon dull

and a bud blooms

and you make me smile

and your flower

lasts a lot longer

than your sharp thorns.

 

(This poem sounds vaguely insulting, but it is so beautifully written and very true—I have a temper and Kyla found the beauty in it.  This shows the depth of Kyla’s own beauty.  Truly an amazing child.)

 *    *    *    *    *     *

Snuggling with me

Shopping for food

Baking our family

Gardening in the garden

Resting on the couch

Typing on the computer

Reading us books

Driving us places

Loving our family

Understanding us

Buying useful stuff

I love my always smiling mom.

                           Piper, age 7

*   *   *   *  

Sadly, I seemed to misplaced Wesley’s Mother’s questionnaire.  I know he knows I’m 40 years old and thinks I like jumping on the trampoline with him. 

We still did our annual Mother’s Day family pictures.  This year, I asked my beloved friend, Susanne, to take pictures of us, and I like them about as much as I liked the professional ones we’ve had (much better than 2014 at, literally, fraction of the cost). 

A friend from Wesley’s Pre-K often takes her grandson to a park after school on Friday and invites Wesley to go with them, giving me a few of the free hours I get during the week.  Today, I caught up with them later in the afternoon  at Miner’s Corners Park.  It has water, sand, and sticks for swords and guns.  Wesley and Westin were in heaven.

 

Then the girls come home from school and we head to the pool for an afternoon of swim lessons and play.  We usually do a “Grab an Ab” (pick up Piper’s best friend, Abby), swim, and then come back for pizza.  And then I’m pretty done with the kids as we finish up or school week.  Phew!

The “Ab” we grab.

My beautiful mermaid. 

 

A+

I needed a 220.  I got a 290.  I had 3 hours, but finished in 2. Yahoo! 

In March, I completed my final class for a Literacy endorsement.  Then the N.E.S. Reading Instruction test was next on the list.  Check and done.  Now I just have to do a 6 week internship in reading/writing instruction.  I won’t be able to do this for 16 or 17 months because…(pause for irony)…I will be too busy teaching Kyla to read and write while we home school next year.  But I’m so pleased to get this off my list.  Who wants to study in this fantastic weather!?