she thought

getting out

2011-09-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

We love leaving the city, absolutely love it. We accidentally found a secret beach spot on one drive and have been driving out to it almost every weekend. It is in a little town called Inverness and when we were living in Glasgow and Rich knew that we were moving here he checked it out through google. The geography is similar to that of where we were living and the street names are all Scottish. There are little thistles blooming now and bramble berries line the highway. It is a little hike through the redwoods to the beach. Even on Labor day weekend there was no crowd. Driving to the spot is slow, but once there we are totally rewarded.

Atlas was thrilled to find bear poo. He is our resident expert on all wildlife. Everywhere.

On the way home we stopped and picked berries on the side of the road. We picked so many- wearing flip flops and and our swim suits. It was dangerous! Then Emilia and I made a perfect berry pie that could be sliced with no runny berry mess. I can't wait to go back and do it again.

job hunting

2011-08-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

Hunting- yeah I guess that is the right name for it. You really have to search and persevere and be discriminate? However, I am applying to just about everything I am remotely qualified for. The other day in an interview in response to a valid question I gave this valid response: size doesn't matter. I thought about what I had just said while looking the interviewer in the eye and didn't laugh or turn bright red. I took a breath and then qualified the statement by saying that big companies and small companies bla bla- as long as it is a good company...

Another blunder was in answering the phone. I was expecting a call from a friend that I hadn't spoken to in years. I answered the phone with a very friendly and expectant hello. There was an unexpected pause. It wasn't my friend but an employment agency in response to receiving my resume.

I am learning. I now answer my phone much differently no matter who is calling.

And I have been cooking, baking, making and mixing. I am sprouting seeds and beans too. It is getting obnoxious. Someone please hire me before I bake and cook us out of the house. hortachata
basil pesto
super thick and creamy yogurt and whey
the beloved hummus

Bread, cakes, cookies, yogurt, cheese, soups and stews, pestos (yes plural- basil and cilantro), horchata, and hummus. The other day I went to my regular supplier from Israel and he is on vacation. I just had to get my fix so I had to give hummus another go at making it myself- safeway and TJ's just doesn't cut it. I read about 10 different recipes and made the best hummus ever. Tahini, garlic, parsley and freshly cooked chickpeas. Warm cooking water, salt and a bit of olive oil. All of the kids loved it. Even the silly ones who didn't like it before.

excursions

2011-06-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't taken my kids on as many adventures this year. But a few weeks ago I let them skip school and we went hiking in the Santa Clara mountains. It was beautiful. It reminded us of Scotland- just warmer. Atlas caught a snake and we saw a wild turkey and an expired blue jay. It was good doing something together we all love and leaving the stress of city life behind.

I wish...

2011-06-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

I wish I was done. I'm not. I am up to my eyeballs in studying the law for the CA bar exam held over 3 days in July. I am however, finished with school for now! I now hold a degree in International Relations from BYU. A law degree (LLB) from the University of Glasgow and an LLM (Legum Magistra- master of the laws, feminine) from University Calif Hastings college of the law... Ya I'm done with school- at the very least until I pay off all of my student loans! I haven't really looked for a job- it is really hard being a mom and going to school and job hunting and studying for the bar. My motto is one thing at a time- so that means that until I am finished with the bar the job hunting is on hold. But I now officially hold a Master's degree! I am glad. All of my grades were posted today and I have officially passed. I might add that I did pretty well- for all of my anxiety and stressing, it paid off- so far. One last hurdle. And yes, I do feel like a freak!
ps- the pretty leis are from my parents-in-law. They came, but unfortunately I have no photos.

Desperate

2011-05-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

How desperate am I? How over it all am I? One hundred per cent! My last exam is tomorrow- a statutory class. It is an open book exam and I just sold my textbook. So um... I don't have my book to bring in to help me out tomorrow. I had to sell it because today is the last day I could and I just hate when the bookstore won't buy back the bloody book. I was solicited by Amazon and so I am taking the offer. It expires today. So that is it. Not really, I can borrow a book from a fellow student who is taking the exam a day late due to conflicting exams. It is a little funny and sad... but I get a good credit with Amazon! which is really all that counts- ya know degree that costs too much and a silly book that in comparison doesn't.

On a different note- the weather here has been amazing. For an entire week! I even got a hurtful burn on each shoulder when I just had to sit in the sun and study. Through the pain I was so glad that it was sunny.

A new LOVE

2011-04-27T22:03:00.001-07:00

So I have fallen in love and if it were possible I would marry these beans. I love this recipe. Rich does and Atlas does. The three littles don't. They think it is too spicy. When I read the recipe the first time I filed it away, knowing that I would love it. But then I didn't make it for a long time. When I saw it again I made it the next day. Then the next and now it is weekly. It reheats perfectly for lunch the next day. It is great with eggs for breakfast and of course tastes as if it was meant for a corn tortilla. I lOVE these beans. I made them again this afternoon for dinner. I don't use bread crumbs and I have made it with every type of bean (ok almost), my favorite is the pinto. I also make my own beans by soaking them over night and cooking for most of the day in a crockpot on low!

On a side note, I took my first exam today. Then I planned to get right back into studying for my other two and finishing a take home exam and starting another. I didn't. I completely blew off everything and wasted time and then made this cake. Sometimes I just cannot not bake.

We have also had a birthday and totally broke all the rules (mine and the landlords... shhh) and got a gecko for this birthday boy. I mean, how could I not? I totally hate caged animals. Fish included and we have 3. Life can be compromising.

The Inevitable

2011-04-18T10:09:00.000-07:00

It finally happened. I am not quite sure when, but last week it wasn't so. Last night it was. I knew it was going to happen soon, and I wasn't quite sure how I would feel about it. As it turned out, I am fine. I feel just the same, maybe only a little shorter- though I am not. Atlas is taller. About an inch taller. That means that he grew about 1.5 inches in a week. He is taller now than all my sisters too! First it was Charla about 2.5 years ago in Glasgow at Christmas. For the past few months Atlas has been trying to see if he was taller than me- standing over me wearing shoes, tippy toes and all sorts of funny business. Last night he towered over me.
So it will be some time before he tops Richard...

Another Ending

2011-04-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

I'll be finished with classes in just 2 (long? short?) weeks. Exams in 5. Graduation in 6. Today I told Rich that we were going out for lunch. I make plans for us and we almost never follow through- work, rain, work... so today I made a yummy lunch and told Rich again at noon that we were going out. He looked at me, rolled his eyes and siad really? really? as he rolled his head back. I stuck to my guns and we biked to the park a mere 5 minutes away and sat in the fantastically warm sun and ate a delicious lunch. I just wish we (I) had thought to bring our paddle ball set. Instead of playing we sat in the sun and relaxed. We really need to do this more often and not make excuses.

And I got a new bike a few months ago. A really new bike. I have been up-selling my bikes and now I have what I want. An Amsterdam. Biking was always fun, but I just turned it up a notch. Oh- and the compliments I get...

Spring Break

2011-03-15T22:02:00.000-07:00

My spring break is over. The kids have theirs in 2 weeks. Lame. The past two years we went to Italy for spring break. The first year we stayed outside of Pisa. Last year we were in Rome. This year? This year we spent 2 nights in Carmel. It was beautiful all right, but not quite the same. I took the kids to the mission and it was beautiful and the day sunny.

The kids made mermaids in the sand at the beach. Along came a dog and it peed on one mermaid's face. Then a few minutes later another dog came and put his mark on her face too. Then we left.

better late than...

2011-03-02T23:02:00.001-08:00

My sister and her family came to visit us over New Year's. We had a blast- our house was crazy crowded but super happy. She and her husband took our kids for a morning walk across the bridge and then we met them later. All my kids could be hers- hers could be mine. Emilia and Denny are twins and Leif and Hailey are twins, although Paris is catching up and may be a triplet in a year or two. My sister was laughing when we met because she was getting crazy looks and a few comments regarding her many children.

A few years ago in Provo all of us, except Rich, went out to dinner. Dennis looked like the big cheese- he got looks and even a comment about his nice looking family. Yuck. Sisters, not sister-wives.

an example...

2011-02-22T21:15:00.000-08:00

I walked into my last class of the day just a little bit late because I had been chatting with a friend. Tuesdays are my long days. I have class straight through with no (real) break from 9am to 5:40... I sat down in my assigned seat- front and center-because the very first day of that class started off bad (another story). I suddenly realized that my contract that I turned in the other night was up on the big screen. I wanted to walk right back out. He was discussing that assignment. I had given the contract assignment my best effort and then turned it in a few hours early. It was due by/before midnight. I turned it in at 6:30pm- done. Finished. I hopped I passed the assignment and never wanted to look at it again. Now it was being used as an example. Ugh. My worst nightmare. As I sat down the professor said that he had removed the name of the student because in earlier classes people complained that it was too embarrassing. Thanks for making me anonymous. I was still horrified as I tried to nonchalantly stare at the screen looking at red text, blue text and highlighted text. I saw squiggly red lines underlining text. The paper I turned in was all in black. I really wanted to giggle. I kept my calm- though I am sure my face was red. Only the professor could see my face. I tried to cover it partially with my water bottle as I took many drinks. Then he said, "I only use examples that are A's". Still though, the time going over the contract was way too long.

He told me he said no.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

Paris and I made cupcakes- she and Emilia decorated them.

Do you have a bike?

2011-02-03T22:54:00.000-08:00

In Jr. High dumb boys would ask that to anyone on the bus. I had a bike but I knew better than to answer.

I didn't have a bike for a long time. Then I bought a gorgeous traditional british bike in New Castle. It was step through, black, 6 speeds and very elegant and simple. I got Richard to make the drive with me. It was a long day and we saw Hadrian's wall. I hardly rode the bike due to bad weather, but when I did ride it I loved it. I was sad to sell it when we moved. However, I have been riding a bike since September and am LOVING it. When I ride I think, "I'm on a bike"...Think Andy Sanberg singing "I'm on a boat"... Hopefully you get the picture. I love my bike. It is my second- still a Townie Electra, but this one is cream and it has a million speeds. I use 3. The color is better than my last one and almost everyday I get compliments on it. It is like having a baby as an accessory again. When I had my babies I was always complimented on their cuteness. I missed it. Now with my bike they are coming back.

Today during my ride through the park (Golden Gate Park) to school I was thinking of all the funny things I see everyday when I ride- exotic dogs, incredibly indescribable people, other bikes (yesterday a lowrider passed me- the bike was low and trimmed in gold. On the back it had a spare tire also trimmed and spoked in gold- I really wish I had a camera around my neck to take a quick photo) and then I saw a man running backwards. Jogging backwards. I started to laugh. Then I saw another man waiting for a park shuttle. He was wearing a knee length skirt, had a baby carrier/carseat, a mesh shirt and the darkest, hairiest beard for a man wearing a skirt and holding a baby carrier. I smiled. He smiled. He complimented me on my bike. OK no he didn't compliment my bike, but my smile- too many funny thoughts and it was a funny moment. It could only happen riding a bike.

Celebrate

2011-02-03T22:24:00.000-08:00

I don't make New Years resolutions. I make weekly, daily, sometimes half daily resolutions... I can always be better. But, I have resolved to celebrate life more. I tried to do this last year and the year before... ok, so that is why I don't make resolutions. I hate failing. This year though, in the right month, just not the right day (6th of Jan), I made a gallette du roi. A kings cake to celebrate epiphany. Leif got the bean. He was king for a minute. The cake is super easy with frozen puff pastry. I have made it three times during the month of January. The kids love it. Think almond filled croisant. delish. There are a ton of recipes out there. This is the one I used and I don't remember where I got it: Gallette du Roi
Ingredients: 1/4 cup sliced raw almonds
 1/4 cup almond paste 
1/4 cup sugar 
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
 pinch of salt 
2 eggs
 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 
2 tablespoons flour
 1 package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
 glaze (1 part water, 2 parts sugar)
Procedure:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  2) Butter a large baking sheet (not dark metal). 3) In a food processor, puree' the almond paste, almonds, sugar, butter, and pinch of salt until smooth. 4) Add 1 egg, vanilla and almond extract and puree' until incorporated. 5) Add flour and pulse to mix in. 6) On a lightly floured surface, roll out one sheet of the puff pastry into an 11 1/2 inch square. 7) Invert an 11 inch pie plate onto the square and cut out a round shape by tracing the outline of the plate w/ the tip of a paring knife. 8) Brush the flour from both sides of the round and place it on the buttered baking sheet, then put in refrigerator to chill. 9) Repeat the process w/ the second square of puff pastry, but leave it on the floured work surface. 10) Beat the remaining egg and brush some of it on top of the second round. Score decoratively all over the top using the tip of a paring knife and make several small slits all the way through the pastry to create steam vents. 11) Remove the first round from the refrigerator and brush some of the egg in a 1 inch border around the edge. Mound the almond cream in the center, spreading slightly. 12) Place the scored round on top and press edges together. 13) Bake the galette in the lower third of the oven for 13 to 15 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and brush w/ egg a second time. 14) Return galette to rack in the upper third of oven and bake for an additional 12 to 15 minutes or until the edge is a deep golden brown.  15) While galette is still on the oven rack, brush it w/ the glaze mixture, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Peanut Butter cookies

2011-01-19T09:53:00.001-08:00

These are the best and easiest ever.

1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar (I used brown)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
extra granulated sugar to sprinkle on formed cookies

Mix the first 4- it all comes together with the addition of the egg. The batter will be a little different depending on your peanut butter, but what ever type you use it will work. Bake on 350º for about 8-10 minutes depending on the size of your cookies. They will spread a bit. The first time I made giant ones and the second time ones that were on the small side. It doubles perfectly too.

They are flourless- it works.

Tide Pooling

2011-01-14T20:35:00.000-08:00

Before the kids and I went back to school we spent a day at the beach in Santa Cruz in the tide pools and then later at the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. It was a beautiful day.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-06T12:18:00.001-08:00

The month of December was harsh. The weather was fabulous and the bike riding even better. But with exams and all that comes with them (stress and anxiety) I was consumed. After the lovely family visits, holidays that I wasn't quite prepared for, a disappointed birthday boy (Atlas), our millionth anniversary, and more family visits, we are exhausted.

This is Leif. He just started to brush his hair again. Sometimes I am not quite sure that he really does...

January is however, looking good. I have some exam results- all good, even an excellent, and the semester usually starts slow. I need the time to get back in to school mode, and of course my break wasn't long enough. I could use another week. However, this is my last semester... I am almost finished and at this moment I NEVER want to go back. Jamais. PHD? no thanks! My collection of degrees is on hold after this indefinitely.

And after a 2 year hiatus, I finally have plants again. I got a blood red orange tree for Christmas. Also, I am starting a movement called "free gardening". Gorilla gardening is in the past. I have been collecting seed heads from plants that I pass and taking small clippings from plants that propagate easily: geraniums, hydrangeas, succulents, trumpet flowers, etc. The hydrangeas clippings were retrieved from a pile slated for composting. Just looking at the plants makes me happier. I miss my old garden. To the new year!
(view from my dentist appt)
(teacher gifts)

Farmers Market affair

2010-11-18T22:36:00.000-08:00

I just can't quit you.

I have to go- every opportunity I can.

Remember Remember...

2010-11-06T14:16:00.001-07:00

the 5th of November. We did remember and celebrated UK style with a bonfire. We even had an official Scotsman present. Next year I'll have the kids make an effigy, but it was still fun and mello. Bonfire night. Guy Fawkes. And at times the biggest bonfire on the beach! Thank you Karen and Dan.

We also remembered to scrape the pumpkins when we carved them. We now 4 gallon sized bags of luscious, orange pumpkin flesh. I have used 2 bags so far in chicken and pumpkin enchiladas, pumpkin and sweet corn enchiladas, mexican rice with pumpkin, pumpkin soup, and brownies with pumpkin and pecans. Oh yeah- Paris' chocolate birthday cake had pumpkin in it too.

The fruit and veg at the farmers market has definitely become autumnal:

And best of all the weather remains to impress me.

Another year older...

2010-10-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

My baby turned 7 this week. Wow. Seven sounds so much older than six and way older than five, and well, she isn't a baby anymore. She has been counting down her birthday for weeks now. The night before, she was so excited that she got in bed early, but was too excited that she couldn't fall asleep! Normally the last one up in the morning, she awoke way before her breakfast in bed was ready and politely demanded why we were not circled around her singing when I walked through her room! She is so funny. She received a few packages in the mail in the days leading up to her birthday and she could not decide what to open first! I took the day off and we had a picnic in the park. I told her she could choose anything for lunch- we could go anywhere (close by). She only wanted to eat Top Ramen! I NEVER buy it! Well she had it for lunch. I baked this cake and it was a great day to mark another year gone by. I still get a little sad that time passes so fast and my babies are not babies. Although, they will always be my babies.

Weekends

2010-10-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

There is always so much to do here, and we wish we could do it all. We passed up haunted houses, shopping, carnivals and pumpkin patches this weekend. I heard about a beached blue whale on the news radio on Thursday. We went to see it Sunday. Oh boy was it rainy- very reminiscent of our Glasgow days. We were soaked through in a matter of minutes, even with our gear... The coast is beautiful and Sunday it was fierce. We found the whale and her foetus. Apparently it was hit by a ship. The baby was born premature. The mother was 80 feet and the baby was 17. We were so sad looking at the remnants of such an amazing and giant animal. However, we were very glad we got to see it. Maybe (hopefully) a once in a life time event.
And then Atlas and Leif found a freshly electrocuted crow. They were walking home in the evening and heard a ruckus of cawing. On the ground beneath a telephone pole was a crow. They came home and asked if they could bring it home. So they went back and got it. They almost exchanged it for a fake one in a Halloween display of one of the neighbors's. Could you imagine? It was measured, weighed, examined- they found a blown-out ear, then they plucked a few raven colored feathers, and finally they buried it and marked the spot so that next spring they will have a skeleton to look at.

Therapy

2010-10-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

I think I would love a therapist. For the time being baking is my therapy. Last week was rough. I had a lot to do- everyone did, and well, sometimes life is just hard. I love Autumn. I feel like time passes fast (too fast) and with each season's passing I really feel it. I get sad that my kids are growing so fast- well anyways I think that when I wish that I could crawl into bed and sleep and go back in time, I bake. I think it is my lowest- Rich thinks it is when I have already hit rock bottom and am slowly coming out of it. Which ever it is baking is part of the recovery. I made pumpkin pancakes mid week for breakfast. Mid week!! I think Thursday I made banana bread. Then I made apple cake and flapjacks (scottish ones) Friday evening and then pumpkin scones Saturday morning. I also made pumpkin "latte" for the kids. That was a hit- sweetened milk with pumpkin puree and spices. All warmed up. It went great with the banana bread. Then I was better. I am trying to keep up with my therapy. Today I made pumpkin bread and zucchini bread- both with chocolate chips.So yummy warm out of the oven with butter. I feel good. It also doesn't hurt that the weather has been amazing- fantastic. Way better than I ever hoped.

A good Weekend.

2010-10-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

I got to see my favorite band again! For free and in my back yard- just about! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Avett Bros. They put on a great show. San Francisco was at its finest- there were "infused" cupcakes, green rice crispy treats and many other interesting treats for sale at the festival. It was super crowded and I almost didn't stay! I am glad I did. So what if I have a mid term (my first) tomorrow morning! I got to see the Avetts!

settled?

2010-09-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

So Jamaica boy and I are friends. He has a kid that goes to our neighborhood school and I see him often. He sings and dances constantly.

Here is a little photo journey of my commute. I got a bike and it matches Emilia's (on the other side of mine). They are both royal blue, not the first choice of colors for either of us, but we got great deals on them via Craigslist! I am sure we look really cool riding together (really slowly up the hills and getting passed by the other bikers!).
These photos are views of the first part of my commute- my favorite tree and the incredible views that are every where. I take the little kids to school-(Paris rides on the back rack, and all my books fit in the basket).

There is a farmers market across the street from my school one day mid-week and I never miss.

This last is breakfast- the tomatos were delicious.

Riding the bus

2010-09-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

(We live in a neighborhood with a heavy concentration of Russians and Armenians. My favorite grocery store is Armenian and they have the best fruit and most exotic bakery- this picture is one of the several orthodox churches in our neighborhood)
I like the bus. It is freaky sometimes. Sometimes just surreal.

I like it when the recorded voice says Spanish and then in Chinese what it just said in English. I feel like I am going on Big Thunder at Disneyland. Even if the voice is saying to leave the front seats for seniors and the disabled.

This morning after walking the kids to school I walked to the bus. I ended up running the last block because I saw that it was coming. The day before I just missed it and the next was late due to electrical problems and then the overpacked bus broke down and we all had to crowd on to another and I was late! So this morning I boarded the bus a little out of breath. I usually have with me 2 bags and today I also had my yoga mat. There was one seat left at the back of the bus in between two dudes. I wove to the back and sat. Dude One asked me if I was ok. (Funny because no one talks much unless you know the other person. Then you can talk really loud and laugh really loud and let everyone know that you have a friend on the bus). I told him I was just fine. But I wasn't chatty because I had to text Rich that back to school night was tonight, not next week and that meant that I had to be home earlier than I wanted and would have to miss a class. He then asked me if I was going to the beach. (I am nicely dressed for school and it is before 9 am) I said no- and he pointed to the mat. He then told me that everyday is a beach day where he is from- So I asked- He is from Jamaica. After a few moments of quiet he started to sing in slow reggae style and wiggle/ seat dance with a lot of head rolling. Luckily for me he got off the bus soon after, but the last of the lyrics that I heard him sing were "and if she doesn't talk to me then she isn't nice" unfortunately I didn't hear the rest! but I did get a good laugh. And I am not so vain that I thought the song was about me, but it was funny.

Yesterday as I was coming home I was partially sat upon by someone. I saw the same thing happen to someone else a few days before so I think I was mentally prepared for it. Then as I was getting off the bus I realized that my shirt was unbuttoned more than I wanted. There is only so much I can prepare for. I am hoping to learn that if I can laugh at someone else- even in my head, then I better be able to laugh at myself.

San Francisco

2010-08-24T00:02:00.000-07:00

We love being back in California- especially with the twist of being in the Northern part of the state. All the kids are back in school- we had a glitch getting Paris in with her bro in the neighborhood school, but it all worked out after much perseverance. Atlas and Emilia take the city bus across the city to school, but that is totally normal here and there are a few kids from the neighborhood who do the same. I started school too and life is back to crazy. Oh, it never stopped being crazy, but now it is a settled crazy.

We like our house. It reminds of us our Provo house (on the inside). The downside is that we have one toilet. The bathroom is split, so mornings aren't too bad- especially when we all wake at different times. Me being the first!

If I stand in the middle of the street in front of our house I can see the top of the Golden Gate Bridge. We have great fresh air with the ocean all around us. On most evenings we can see the fog roll down our street. It is eery and cool. The last fews days have been sunny, but mostly our neighborhood gets little sun. I am ok with it because where I go to school usually gets sunny by noon. And it hasn't rained... yet!

I like my classes. Having gone to school in Scotland has been an asset. So far it isn't THAT different. Teaching styles are different but the essence of the material is similar and it applies across the board. However, I may change my mind as the semester progresses!

Parking can be a nightmare- we have no allotted spot and two cars! I would love to get rid of one and get a garage for the other! Or get rid of both!

I actually like taking the bus to school everyday. It is really entertaining! I'll post on that next.

ps I know too long of a post and NOTHING to look at, but I just lost all of the pictures of the house, the rooms, kids going to school... gone. So I'll take some more sometime and the next post will be better! At least better on the eyes!

Summer

2010-07-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

It is in full swing, but feels like it is over before it began! From jet-lag to apartment hunting and the back to business of returning 'home' after 2 years, I am in need of a vacation! Oh well. We move in into our super mico flat this Friday. It does have a shared back yard, but only one toilet!

Sister time has been great. The four of us got together for a few days when my cousin got married. The kids are in heaven- as always at my sister's and they all get on so well. I love it.

One day a friend of my sister's called and said that her neighbor's emu got loose and was being kept in her yard until the neighbor returned home. We went to check it out. Then two weeks later we bought 2 emu eggs from a road side stand. I drilled a hole (as per instructions) in the first egg to make an omelet and discover to my disgust that it was rotten. I have never smelled anything so foul! We were all gagging. Then when the second egg turned out fine, no one could stomach it.

It really has been a great 3 weeks:

swimming from dawn to midnight

mermaid tattoos

crickets in my bed

tree frogs in the house

baby lizards in the house

bbq turkey legs

fishing

catching turtles

catching sand crabs

the del mar fair

the zoo

the wild animal park

mariachi band

weddings

cousins

in-laws

bon fires

and of course s'mores!

2 more weeks until my program starts... I'll do my best to post pictures of us familiarizing ourselves with our new home town in the next week.

An Ending

2010-06-22T23:24:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I graduate. Monday we leave sunny Glasgow. It is hard to leave. Glasgow has been amazing. It has treated my kids wonderfully. The Scots are fantastic. Absolutely no regrets. one bag pipper. 3 drummers. all in kilts. perfect combination.

all is well, all is well.

2010-06-12T05:52:00.000-07:00

Three weeks to the day that she got sick, she is home and playing, making up for lost time. She is extra excited that she won't be going back to school for a few more days because that means she gets one-on-one time with Grandma.

Here are a few photos from my walks through the Kelvingrove park- it can be sunny in Glasgow.

Also, it is official- we are moving to San Francisco. UC Hastings is where I'll be spending the next (and final) year of law school.

"It will be fine, it will be fine..."

2010-06-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

I have a brilliant friend from school who always uses this phrase. And for her it always is- even when she parties the nights away and says she doesn't study...

Paris, so we thought, had the dreaded Glasgow 'vomiting bug'. When she lost a ton of weight and wasn't getting any better we took her to the doctor who then said she might have a bladder infection, he prescribed antibiotics (the first prescription I filled for any of my kids- an indication of how worried we were) and we took her on a road trip with the advice that she would get better fast... she didn't improve and we cut the trip short. We visited the doctor again and she was admitted to the Royal Children's Hospital and was diagnosed with appendicitis. Apparently it has burst/leaked over a week before- she was put under and had surgery to drain what her body made to encapsulate the toxins... they say she should have her appendix removed in 6-8 weeks. Worst case the doctor said I would HAVE to change my tickets to the States! That was Thursday...this was taken Friday, there is a smile- it quickly faded, but there it is!

Today she had a bath was detached from her ivac thing and got a sponge bath and put on normal clothes. She still has the drain tube coming from her stomach and she still gets antibiotics intravenously a few times a day and she still has the iv's in her little arm, but today she walked around and played with her visitors for a bit.

Isle of Skye

2010-06-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

It is as beautiful as they say. The drive was exquisit- minus the kids fighting. Carpets of bluebells, waterfalls, and green. So much green. We drove past so many lochs. To Skye we took the ferry. Returning we drove over the bridge. It is so beautiful.

That's Me!

2010-05-21T10:21:00.001-07:00

A Scot saying- meaning that I am done!!! Hurrah! My last exam was this morning. Now time to pack! Here are a few photos from some walks around our neighborhood. It is Spring now.

And sisters skyping.

Roma

2010-04-04T02:23:00.000-07:00

We just finished spring break. I have been to Rome a couple of times before and this time it was nice showing the kids around, but I needed to do something different. I had never seen the Bocca della Verita, the Mouth of Truth. I started telling the kids about it in the morning. By the late afternoon when we got to the Church where it was, Paris was too afraid to put her hand in the mouth!
Tag at the Colosseum.
Gelato and the Spanish Steps.
They will return- they each threw in a coin at the Trevi Fountain. Spending these few days in warmer weather has re-affirmed that we so have to live in a warm climate. What a difference it makes!

And then we went to the Giza Plateau. Just kidding. There was a proper pyramid in rome too.

2010-03-20T00:54:00.000-07:00

I made it to Paris.
Hiked to Montmontre. Just above the carousel someone lost something.
I found and ate at the Rose Bakery. (Good but over priced)

Spent the next few days in Strasbourg. Great city. Ate local fare.
My favorite trees were all over.
I tried all the pastries.
Met Richard in London.
Saw an amazing concert. Love.

Plans

2010-02-22T04:11:00.001-08:00

For my birthday last month Rich and I spent the day in Edinburgh. The two of us took the train and we spent the afternoon walking around the old city and castle. It really is different than Glasgow! And we had a lovely day.and I got fireworks on my cake.

For Richard's birthday next month we are going to London! Actually we will be leaving London. We are finally going to get to see the Avett Brothers! I was so excited when I heard they were touring the UK that I bought tickets that very night. And I bought plane tickets to London too. Then just about the next day I head that my Human Rights class' annual trip to Strasbourg is the weekend before! So what was going to be a quick trip to London mid-week has turned into a week long trip encompassing Paris, Strasbourg and London! And I'll have to meet Rich in London- good thing most of my assignments will be turned in by then... and I get to see the Avett Brothers live FINALLY! And in London...
Walking home from School one day we realised the fountain in the park was fixed- isn't it so pretty!
Emilia riding her vintage bike in the Park. We would love to take the bike back with us...

Rip my heart out!

2010-01-22T02:38:00.000-08:00

Moving is so hard and we KNOW that we will be moving in a few months. Like usual, the three youngest are fine. Paris still talks about her best friend in Provo who she hasn't seen or heard from in a year and a half. Emilia is pragmatic as always and Leif is chill as always. Atlas doesn't want to go. He is doing great in school (they all are). He would be in all the highest classes next year. His teachers, for the most part, like him. He knows all the ropes here. And he doesn't even want to go anywhere for spring break! He just wants to stay! Here in grey Glasgow!

I attended parent-teacher night and every teacher was talking about "standards" the higher classes that count for exams and university. All were recruiting him. On our walk home, Atlas was telling me the classes that he wants to take next year- like we are staying. I let it ride. But it was weird and a bit surreal with both of us knowing that there is NO way we are staying. Just as we got to the flat Atlas asked me where we will be next year... I don't know! but his 2 cents is that is should be in a city and preferably in NYC. Ha Ha Ha. I am over cities and the cold! So I say now... perhaps I just need a few weeks on a hot and sunny beach doing nothing and having nothing to do. Then I'll be up for anything. And I think I remember saying earlier today to Rich that I am ready for Paris in a few years!

And I baked (over the past few weeks) 4 different cupcake recipes from the cookbook and they all turned out fantastic. Vegetable base really works- even when I am sure it won't turn out! So if I know you are coming- I'll bake a cake. 5 months remaining. And no I am not counting down...

A new year!

2010-01-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

I am truly obsessed with food. Just because I don't post pictures or blog much anymore (period) it doesn't mean I have stopped. I still cook all the meals and (usually) love it. I read cookbooks as my de-stresser and scour the shops for random ingredients to try a new recipe. For a while now I've thought that I am gluten intolerant. I could get diagnosed (or not) with a simple blood test- but for now I am glad that I HAVE to eat sweet potatoes and brown rice for lunch or make quinoa salad with broccoli and avocado and really limit my eating of bread. I feel so much better when I do. I have read every blog on being gluten free and have discovered a few "new" flours. On Saturday Richard and I went shopping to try and find them. We found a lot of flours at one of the Asian markets. None were in English, so I guessed on what I wanted. When I got home I discovered that I got water chestnut flour, some weird bean flour, and then a chickpea and rice flour combo. I made raspberry jam bars and tried the bean flour as my only substitution. When I opened the bag I really liked the feel of the flour. It smelled a little different, but had a lovely creamy color and nice feel. I put it in and mixed it up. Paris was my "helper" and nibbled the batter and liked it. That was a good sign. I made the bars and put it in the oven. I tasted the batter and thought I would puke. The taste on my tongue was so awful! I then had Rich try it. He felt the same... After the bars had baked and cooled all the kids had a nibble and no one complained... I could not bring myself to try it. I will give it to them for breakfast but I'll wait for the kids to give their opinions after eating a whole slice before I try it and even then maybe I'll skip it. I think my tongue still tingles... I'll try the rice and chickpea flour combo next. And I did throw the bean flour away...

My newest cookbook purchase is called "Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache" by Harry Eastwood and all the desserts- mostly cakes, are made with a vegetable base and a rice or almond flour... no gluten and I didn't even realise it when I bought it! I'll make a cake from it this weekend. Swede? A lot of butternut squash and zucchini? Sounds interesting... and no bean flour!

White Christmas

2009-12-22T14:42:00.000-08:00

It snows in Glasgow. Properly. This year we are going to have a white Christmas! We didn't bring gloves or snow pants or snow boots nor drive a 4x4 but we love it! The kids have made snowmen and have begged to go outside to play in the garden. There are impromptu snowball fights everywhere and with anyone. One must always be on guard! Glasgow is lovely in the sun but spectacular in the snow. Today as I picked up the kids from their last day of school, all the parents commented on the bright smiles of the kids as they burst through the doors. And it was not because of it being the last day of school. Our usually laborious walk home was playful and fun. The ice is treacherous, but the snow is great!

And so far my flight is not cancelled!

Staying home for New Years?

2009-12-17T04:10:00.001-08:00

About 2 months ago I booked a flight for me to go to San Diego over New Years to attend my dad's wedding. He was planning on getting married earlier but because of my complaints of not being able to attend mid-semester, he pushed it back so I could be there. Well, I booked my tickets through British Airways... They are striking from the 22 of December to the 2 January. My tickets are for 29 December to 5 January. My dad's wedding is the 2 January. I can't go!!! I am so, so sad!

Any time I am done with school I help out at the kids' school- Tuesday I went with Emilia's class as they sang carols in the city center.

I love hearing songs with the Scottish accent. At 18 sec. listen for "pur" Rudolph. We have a running list of words that are pronounced very different (really funny- another post).

Life never slows down... I guess I don't let it! Seriously every day this week there has been something and I am still having to write an essay over the holidays. Since I can't say no to help out at school or let the house get too messy as it really is too small already and I am finding it difficult to even want to buy stuff for the kids (for Christmas) that we will have to take home and airline baggage allowances have changed since we first came here (now we are allotted one bag instead of two- yes, such a horrible run-on sentence). So what can I let go? Cooking! This new fancy/gourmet grocery store came to the neighborhood... I am having a lovely delivery Friday evening... minimal cooking for me until someone else wants to contribute...

December!

2009-12-06T14:57:00.000-08:00

Time is passing way too fast. The kids are getting older: Atlas will be a teenager in a few weeks... can I really have a teenager? In trying to be 'on the ball', Rich and I bought the kids' advent calendars a few weeks early. I put them on top of the fridge and promptly two fell in between the wall and some panelling. There was no way to get to them.... Richard came up with the idea to fish them out after attempting to unscrew the sub-wall and moving the fridge... Thank you Grandpa Frank for ensuring that we have a fishing rod and that my kids can fish!

It worked!

I went to London for a quick trip to a Human Rights Seminar with another girl from my class. We took an overnight bus there and back! I'll never take the bus to London again, but had a fun time! Before the seminar we did a bit of shopping and site seeing. I like London! I Love London! Maybe some day could live in London...

When I got back it was rainy, no surprise, but the day next there was a lovely rainbow.

This morning we got our Christmas tree and the kids decorated it. I love that they have taken over! I know that one day I'll get to be in charge again, but for now am loving the break!

Exams this week... pressure. stress. very deep breathes. and yes: I chose this. I know! I know! xxx ♥

this dojo

2009-11-07T14:13:00.000-08:00

The boys had their first karate grading today and are now orange belts. The first night I tried to take them to karate I got lost driving and the car almost overheated. Atlas REALLY didn't want to go and it rained so hard and so much that I thought we were all going to float away. Karate makes me laugh. I loved the first karate kid movie and even did a semester of karate at BYU! My mom has been telling me to sign the boys up since we moved here. But karate makes me laugh. I changed my mind about karate this past summer when we were in Paris. Richard and I were watching some boys dance in a little park when one of them started doing a kata. The other guy could not get the moves and the karate dude was a better dancer... do you see where this is going? I resolved that my boys would get rhythm and be coordinated in any way possible. The boys have admitted (finally) that they enjoy it. We tease them and make all sorts of karate jokes but we do take them and would make them go.... The night Atlas got his karate gi he put it on for me and I laughed so hard I cried. He indulged me by letting me take pictures of him in various stances. My camera light broke (why I usually NEVER let the kids touch my camera!!!), so the pictures aren't great. He is totally the bad boy in The Karate Kid!

It's November!

2009-11-01T07:13:00.000-08:00

The leaves on some of the trees are gone!
I took Emilia out to lunch one day last week (I never came back) and we went to this great little cafe called "Heart Buchanan". If Williams-sonoma was ever a cafe this is what it would be. The food is gourmet and simple and there is a little shop. My favorite is their rocket pesto. Not cheap but worth every pence!
Paris turned 6.
We had a birthday party for her. Richard and I took 9 little girls to a craft shop where they decoupaged animals.
And of course the kids dressed up for Halloween.

October week

2009-10-21T15:50:00.000-07:00

The kids got a week off from school last week. I didn't. Richard worked. So we sent the 3 littles to Theatre camp for the week. It was a huge hit. (Atlas spent the week at the skate park) Leif and Paris starred in "Peter Pan". Leif was Peter and Paris Tinker bell! They had just a week and the play was great. All the kids memorised their lines and we enjoyed watching it!!! Paris died, Leif had his first sword fight, stage kiss... so fun.

This autumn has been beautiful. Last year it rained and rained and rained (I could keep going). The rain hasn't started yet... All around it is so breath-takingly beautiful. I could post so many photos, but these few will give you the idea.

A new leaf

2009-10-02T07:09:00.000-07:00

I am in my last stretch here at 'uni' with just 9 months left in Glasgow. We plan on leaving right after graduation. So I thought that instead of trying to blog about what I am doing and trying to make it interesting, I would blog about what I like here. Yesterday was absolutely beautiful, the sun was out and the leaves so many amazing colors- it was a spectacular day. So I am going to post photos of my favorite venues here. The first up is Crossraguel Abbey. It is located about 45 minutes away by car, south, near a quaint little town by the name of Maybole. I tried to go to the Abbey 3 years ago on a day out with Atlas. We took the train and then the bus and then tried to walk the 2 miles, but as we had no idea how far 2 miles was we never quite made it to the abbey. Instead we stopped at a shell of a castle that was filled with hay. There were giant rounds of hay stored in the building. When we finally got to the abbey a few weeks ago, we could see the ruined castle from the abbey grounds. The Abbey was just 500 yards around a bend and could not be seen from where we stopped! We took a picnic lunch and my mom and explored the beautiful ruined abbey. The kids played tag and hide-n-seek. My mom did the abbey worksheet given to the kids (word puzzles and clues) and I had a great time ignoring my rowdy children and playing photographer!

The last image is from another outing- Stirling Castle, about an hour north of here by car. We visited the ancient graveyard and challenged the kids to find the oldest grave. The kids found a lot from the 1500's! I found this statue of a child. Unfortunately it lost its head.

School time

2009-09-08T01:40:00.000-07:00

School is in full swing- this is the kids' 4th week. Their first day was great. It was pouring rain, a first for us, but because we were ready for Glasgow, all went well. The 3 youngest rode their bikes and Francie and I ran behind. Francie is a better runner than me. The second day as we went to unlock the bikes, we discovered that Leif's was stolen! We were in shock. The antique cast iron fence had been kicked? sawed? the bike was gone and so was the chain. Leif rode on the back of Emilia's bike that day and quite a few since. We are trying to replace it, but all things are difficult to get done here. The second week Emilia and Leif ran for Pupil Council. They made badges and posters, at school- everything is very fair here. The two wrote speeches and gave them. On Friday both were elected. We were so pleased. BOTH!
Then Rich and I took off for a little trip, just the two of us. Long over due. I booked cheap tickets to Malaga back in the early spring. As the date was getting closer, both Rich and I started dreading it- too much work for Rich and he wanted to just stay- and for me it was just letting go and not worry about the kids. I told Rich he could stay home, no hard feelings! That got him a bit mad at me and then he for sure was going to come with me. We had no reservations for anywhere- the plan was to camp. We had no travel guide. Forbidden! We didn't want to have to do anything or to miss anything. I booked a car. We just knew that it would be warm and sunny. At the airport Rich said, "Let's get away from the British"! I laughed so hard. There were so many and they all had a zillion kids. Spain is for families. We didn't realise that the "Costa del Sol" is really built up and touristy. Like Waikiki? never been there, but so I was told. Any ways, touristy was not what we were after. I was driving the tiny stick shift car so I drove south. Richard wanted to go east, but I won. This was my idea and I always wanted to go to Gibraltar. Then we could go East. If he still wanted to... We sunned and swam and then went to Gibraltar. It surpassed my expectations. We were like little kids at Disneyland. We saw the Macaques first as that was my main reason for going to Gibraltar- yes driving 150 kilometres to see monkeys in the wild. They were beautiful and scary! As we were watching them play in a little pool, one used Rich as a spring board to get higher. He got muddy monkey paws on his white shirt. We laughed so hard.
We visited a Moorish castle and saw the old fortifications and tunnels. We then saw the grotto- the biggest stalactites and stalagmites that I have ever seen (and I have been to a few caves). A part of the cave had a stage where weddings, ballets, operas etc are still performed. Classical music was piped through out the cave.

I think it was Gibraltar where we finally found our grove. Luckily it was the first day. We camped in amazing places, climbed amazing sand dunes and sunned and swam in crystal clear water. We stayed in the south. Apparently it is touristy all the way to Barcelona and where we were, the most southern spot in Europe, it was rural and lovely. It was a perfect way to end summer. I had a permanent smile on my face every day- even when my bottom lip swelled horribly from the sun, like a bad botox job (I imagine) and it was hard to drink water. We kept saying that the kids would love this or that and we hope to take them this spring...That is Africa in the distance.

Camping

2009-07-21T01:01:00.001-07:00

No summer is complete without a camp out. I love to camp. I grew up camping with my dad and sister Cammie. While the kids were finishing up school and I was trying to play the uke, every day was cold, windy and cloudy. I need sun. I love the sun. So after searching for deals, I booked a "free" flight to Sardinia. I didn't want it to cost a fortune- the hotels weren't being compliant, so Cammie came over and practised her Italian and made a few phone calls for me about getting camp spaces. The first phone call was a wrong number- it should have been a camping place but was a residence. What did Cammie do? She didn't hang up like I might have. She asked the guy where a good camping place was. He asked his friend and then recommended a place. We googled it and then called- the place didn't have a website, but the camp manager sounded really nice on the phone and said there were always spaces for tents- no reservations needed or taken!. That was enough for me. I found a tent and sleeping bags super cheap and best of all they fit in our carry-on bags! I took Atlas and Emilia and for 5 blissful, warm and quiet days (I don't speak Italian) we camped on the beach. The camp place was great- low key with families and couples and grandparents and we were the only Americans- maybe in all of Sardinia. Atlas was thrilled to see wild flamingos. The water was crystal clear and snorkelling great. We got a little too much sun and the ground was hard but it was just perfect.

family vacation

2009-07-07T13:20:00.000-07:00

To say that we are geographically challenged might be a bit of an understatement. When we got off the plane in Beauvais the sun was shining and it was so warm. Deliciously warm. Our apartment for the week was up 108 steps (the Sacre Coeur is up 211 steps). It was at the top of a 5 story building and we climbed them at least once a day- sometimes 2 or 3 times. We showed our kids such a good time that they all agreed that they would like Paris to be their next home!

I have been to Paris many times. I stayed outside the city for a few months and took the train in almost every day, but this trip was the first time I saw the Moulin Rouge and took a ride on the Batteau Mouche.

From bike riding (the Velib is awesome and so simple to use), to rowing boats, swimming in fountains and pony riding, we absolutely love Paris. Richard is already checking out Masters of International Law Programs in France for me...

I passed!

2009-06-24T01:50:00.000-07:00

I passed all my exams... Total relief. And now I can REALLY relax (not really). We visited a castle- no surprise, but now we are "friends of Historic Scotland" and we'll be visiting a whole lot more! The best part of any castle (I think) is the grounds. Castles are usually built in the most beautiful spots and there are beautiful walks along streams and rivers and waterfalls. This castle in particular had wild foxgloves, bluebells and fields of ferns.

Here are the tutus that I made- just 15 of them. There were many more! And a self portrait of us walking into the city center.

Summer

2009-06-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

N. Ireland was beautiful. We stayed here

We had our own private beach and a little herd of cows.

My kids are brave. We hiked and crossed the rope bridge. I was ready to stay behind with Paris, but she didn't even consider not crossing. I was nervous, not being too fond of heights! On the way back- (we had to go back) Atlas was swinging it.

We went to the Giant's Causeway, something I have wanted to do since I was little.

Saw crazy murals, walled and fenced neighborhoods, and even watched a parade- it last hours and we got stuck in the middle of it and had to watch it! It was pro UK.

All in all it was fun and very cultural. It rained and we hiked in the mud. It was sunny and cool, but everyone swam in the Irish Sea (not me- I like it a bit more warm).Richard the human Ferry. We were looking for Puffins.

I am LOVING this little tool:

I've sewn 15 tutus and 14 mouse tails for the girls' ballet performance later this month. The little machine is great. I just might have to take this back to the states with me.

I am learning to play this:

I can play (sort of) and sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". My mom played the Ukulele and I have always wanted to. In 5th grade I sang in the talent show "Somewhere over the Rainbow" while my friend played the piano. My kids all know the song and we all try to sing while I try to play! Anyone know any good teach yourself how to play books? Youtube has been pretty good too!

Paris

2009-05-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

There are lots of things that I want for my kids and it changes as they grow. One milestone is that of my kids when they turn 5. I want them to be able to ride a bike, tie their shoes and wipe their bum. Well, my youngest is half past 5 and a few weekends ago she got bike riding under her belt. She is the only one that I have taught to ride. I have always provided the equipment and given them a few encouraging pushes or steadied them and then the siblings or neighbor kids did the rest. It was lovely. Here we are in the city, live on a hill and have no neighbor kids. As Paris was past ready, I finally took it upon myself to introduce her to balancing and riding. It was awful. She screamed, cried and even threw her bike down - all on the sidewalk in a lovely Park and in front of expensive flats and I am sure that I looked like a child abuser. I didn't yell, but I did make her stay get back on when she pushed it over! By the end of the hour we called dad and brothers to watch. I am glad that once a person learns to ride he never forgets! And now she rides to school which makes the "walk" so much faster and has been asking to ride a bigger bike! (this really is a video, but it would NOT load and I was ready to throw my computer, but alas I did not and I am hating apple and NO video...)

School is out for me (the kids in 6 weeks)- exams are over and now the fun begins! This is why we are here- to see Europe or at least the UK! Our next getaway is N.Ireland for a long weekend (there are a few in the next month) in a 2 hundred year old cottage on the beach. We are taking a ferry... I am told it may rain the entire time. Glorious green, emerald island. (I really hope it is sunny)

One of my goals while here (Scotland, not Italy)

2009-04-23T02:19:00.001-07:00

One of my goals here is to never take out the trash. I still do most of the cleaning and all the laundry and the cooking. Richard helps with the dishes occasionally, but he doesn't clean the kitchen nor do all the dishes. Though he did once while here and it was fantastic. We were told we had an inspection but they never came! Whatever fits in the dishwasher is good and he is done. So even when he does the dishes I do too... So back to the trash. We once had a discussion of cleaning many years ago when I complained that he never put his stuff away. He said that we fix what bothers us. His clean clothes on the floor didn't bother him so therefore he may or may not do anything about it. So I took to either ignoring it, or when I couldn't, put it away. The trash really bugs him when it is full and I make another pile in a bag next to the trash he is SO bothered. It doesn't bother me so I do nothing about it. I'll ask a kid to take it out or Rich will take it out, but I won't and it feels really good to ignore it. (Rich might disagree with what I have written, but it is my blog... : )

Italy was great and it has gotten me thinking about another move. Italy is so much warmer and sunnier than here... My poor children!

unmotivated

2009-04-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

I have a ton to do, but instead have been looking on everyone's blog that I know of and reading all the celebrity gossip and looking at anything that will distract me from what I should do: write. So I'll blog to waste a bit more time... The last few weeks have been terrible! The first disappointment was Atlas breaking his arm. Both bones in his forearm. Skateboarding. Then he got the stomach bug. At first I thought it was a reaction from all the drugs they gave him at the hospital, but it wasn't. Think big kid, a lot of poopy laundry! right arm not useful... Then Emilia got her eye scratched by Paris flailing her arms with a tube of toothpaste. Being a great big sister, she was helping her brush her teeth and Leif thought it funny to turn off the bathroom light. There are no windows in the bathroom and it was dark. Emilia went along with it and started to make spooky noises. After a trip to the doctor and two weeks later her eye is almost white again. I was sure she would be blind in that eye. Then our renter was ready to skip to another place with out finding replacements and wanted something cheaper. A contract is a contract and the market is different in March than August... Oh the stress, but I am loving the law of contract!
We are taking our first real family vacation in many years and have had trouble with our car rental. We tried to reserve a 6 passenger and they would charge us once the car was confirmed. One was not to be had. Instead someone thought it ok to give us a 5 seater. (Three is the magic number- kids that is) They imposed a reservation on us that would not fit the family, charged our card, and now gave us a fine for cancelling a reservation we did not make and we can't get a hold of anyone who will do anything!!
On the upside, Atlas' cast could come off in a week, but we'll be out of town, so he has to wait. Where we are going is supposed to be 10 degrees Celsius warmer (I don't know what that translates to in Fahrenheit, but a lot more). I should be done writing anything that needs to be written and all I'll need to do is get a bit of a tan while I revise for my exams at the end of the month. Oh, and the icing on the cake is that I finally went to the salon to get my hair done and it is the funniest (ugliest) color. Think tree-trunk and stripes or a skunk. I had the girl re-do it and she tried with out much success. I won't ever go back to her. The next month will continue to be hat time- lovely pictures to follow... I am still able to smile so nothing is life shattering. And instead of having a break-down, I baked two cakes in one afternoon and have taken some beautiful walks. Glasgow is getting some color.
Tuscany, let the sun shine on us... PLEASE!

The bread

2009-03-09T14:24:00.001-07:00

Atlas made a loaf while Paris and I made the other- I sort of combined two recipes... the first from epicurious.com and the second from williams-sonoma.com I didn't have any wheat bran or germ so I added more oats and I can't find buttermilk here and we didn't have any plain yogurt so I made my own buttermilk with milk and apple cider vinegar... And it is perfect toasted with a lot of butter and jam...

Brown Soda Bread
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons toasted wheat bran
3 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 cups (about) buttermilk

preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Combine first 8 ingredients in large bowl; mix well. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles fine meal. Stir in enough buttermilk to form soft dough. Transfer dough to prepared loaf pan. Bake until bread is dark brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Turn bread out onto rack. Turn right side up and cool on rack.

Irish Soda bread (williams-sonoma.com)
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup wheat bran
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 425°F. Place a baking sheet in the oven to preheat.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, bran, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the yogurt and stir to blend, forming a rough ball. The dough will start rising as soon as the baking soda comes in contact with the yogurt, so work quickly to form the dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently for about 30 seconds. The dough should feel soft to the touch. Dust a clean work surface with flour and set the ball of dough on it. Flatten slightly into a 7-inch dome and sprinkle with flour, spreading the flour lightly over the surface. Using a sharp knife, cut a shallow X in the loaf from one side to the other. Transfer the loaf to the preheated baking sheet.

Bake until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm. Any leftover bread can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Makes 1 loaf.

Exile

2009-03-08T01:43:00.000-08:00

Sunday breakfast this morning was Irish soda bread- made with Atlas and Paris, and a boiled egg. So British. So funny. So yummy and so very easy. No pictures because it is all gone. Over breakfast Rich and I were talking about some things we missed- Rich misses our salad bowl. A great wooden one from Chris and Guillermo . I miss my kitchenaid, of course, but my blender and food processor too. I miss our backyard, garden and Poppet the rotten, bad dog. I miss my two sister not near me. Richard laughed and said that he felt like he was in exile... I said that it was self-imposed exile. I love it here. I really do. I love the grocery stores here and all the quick-make stuff that I would never buy in the States. The other day Paris said she wanted to go home and play with her best friend... I told her this is home. It is really starting to feel like it even with only having about 10% of my (our) things here. I have three teaching weeks left of my fist year. There are some really hard days with the kids- they are what makes this trip hard- missing their friends and my mom guilt. But I like school. I am so glad we are doing this. I am so glad we are here- through all the pain and tears (mostly mine). After exams in May, I don't have school until September! I got a bit carried away a few weeks ago not having seen the sun in a long time and booked a few trips to sunny places...

This is a trip to castle on the beach- we hiked along the shore and climbed cliffs. Poor Paris thought she was going to die, but it was (in her opinion) the best day of her life!

buses

2009-02-18T16:00:00.000-08:00

I really like public transportation. here. I get really stressed driving. Not the least of my worries is that there are no parking spaces and of course the whole driving on the "wrong side of the road", the car is stinky (I could keep going)... We have a bus stop at the bottom of our street. If we are running a bit late the bus is great. We even force our children to take the bus. Sometimes just the kids alone. This past week was mid-term break for the kids, but not for me. So we signed the kids up for camp- they had to take the bus to the camp and home. It is about 2-3 miles from our flat. They thought the bus was torture and didn't want to wear their tennis clothes on the bus- so embarrassed etc. ( I honestly can't believe that they are mine sometimes- all that vanity has to come from Rich) It reminded me of when I was young and would have given a whole lot to be able to ride the city bus. I once snuck with my best friend to town- we got a ride from her neighbor and then took the bus home. As we were waiting for the bus in town, some acquaintance of my mom's saw us and called and told my mom. I was 12ish. Anyways I got in a ton of trouble- for taking the bus. It still makes me mad. Cammie and I would bike for miles and miles and for hours and hours on country roads. We had no way of calling, and my mom didn't seem to mind us being gone, but when it came to the bus incident I was put on "restriction" for weeks. And now I make my kids ride the city bus. I sure showed her!

And this summer, when I have nothing to do, I am going to finally start my book. The title will be "Living With Lice: A mother's account of city life in Glasgow".

to a louse...

2009-02-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

Great poem, but you don't have to read it. Scroll down for my notes...

To a Louse
Robert Burns
(On seeing a louse on a lady's bonnet at church!)

Ha! whare ye gaun, ye crowlin ferlie!
Your impudence protects you sairly:
I canna say but ye strunt rarely
Owre gauze and lace;
Tho' faith, I fear ye dine but sparely
On sic a place.

Ye ugly, creepin, blastit wonner,
Detested, shunned by saunt an' sinner,
How daur ye set your fit upon her,
Sae fine a lady!
Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner,
On some poor body.

Swith, in some beggar's haffet squattle;
There ye may creep, and sprawl, and sprattle
Wi' ither kindred, jumpin cattle,
In shoals and nations;
Whare horn or bane ne'er daur unsettle
Your thick plantations.

Now haud ye there, ye're out o' sight,
Below the fatt'rels, snug an' tight;
Na faith ye yet! ye'll no be right
Till ye've got on it,
The vera tapmost, towering height
O' Miss's bonnet.

My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose out,
As plump an' grey as onie grozet:
O for some rank, mercurial rozet,
Or fell, red smeddum,
I'd gie ye sic a hearty dose o't,
Wad dress your droddum!

I wad na been surprised to spy
You on an auld wife's flainen toy;
Or aiblins some bit duddie boy,
On's wyliecoat;
But Miss's fine Lunardi!—fie!
How daur ye do't?

O Jenny, dinna toss your head,
An' set your beauties a' abread!
Ye little ken what cursed speed
The blastie's makin!
Thae winks and finger-ends, I dread,
Are notice takin!

O, wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us
An' foolish notion:
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,
And ev'n Devotion!

So last week was Burns supper night, thus the ever so appropriate poem, and I discovered that all 4 kids have/had lice! It is so yuck. After two treatments in 2 days, still half of my children have a few tiny lice that I, as mother monkey, pick out. After washing everything and becoming experts on head lice removal I am ok with the few that remain. My head itches incessantly. I have treated myself and Rich and we check each other's heads, but so far have been pronounced clean. We'll be doing treatment no. 3 for all next week. I had three extra kids the weekend before the discovery and dreaded telling the moms. I was so surprised when each told me that their kids had it too! Not really, but they told me that it wasn't the first time and one mom said that she keeps a special comb by the tub for nit removal at every bath. Great.

I have been feeling a little guilty that I don't read as much to Paris as I did the rest and over Christmas was worrying that she was never going to be able to read- bad mom syndrome... Well the first week back to school she started writing and writing. Lists and cards and everything and I bought two little easy readers and she reads! Such relief! She is on track... no thanks to me unless my genes count for something. Thank you teachers at school. (I do read to her, just not as much as I did to the others). So Poor Paris, as the baby does get special treatment. The other day she would not eat salad or something so I fed her at her request- it is a bit of a joke because she know that I'll give her giant bites and it will take 2 where as when she does it, it takes way to long, but as she opened big, I freaked out because she had her big teeth coming in on the bottom row! A little baby shark! She told me her teeth were loose, but I didn't think so- well that night she pulled her first tooth out. She was so brave. The tooth fairy even remembered to visit.

So last weekend when we had all the extra kids, for breakfast one said he wanted soda. Well we had sparkling water and juice, so I told them all to cast a spell and make soda (Leif and his best friend are witches). The friend quickly cast his spell, "tick tock make it cock". (Coke) Love the Glaswegian accent. I started giggling, so did another little older, American friend/kid who was over. Rich then cast his, "Fire and smoke turn to coke". Magically the sparkling water and juice came together.

Back to the Grind...

2009-01-17T04:39:00.001-08:00

The good news is that I passed my Criminal Law Class- with a nice grade. Not an A, but close... I am very relieved. All during the break I was planning my return to the states. I thought about admitting defeat. Quitting. It was all set... and then I passed! So we are here and it feels good.

I tried to make books for the kids for Christmas, but that didn't happen. I thought about baking, but that didn't happen either. For Atlas' birthday he got a giant store-bought panatone! The shame of having a store-bought cake! However, I did relax and finally go to the movies (after not going for 4 months) and I did make the books for the kids when they went back to school- maybe I'll give the books to them for Valentine's Day...

I love living here. I was really prepared for rain and rain and rain. It hasn't been awful (yet?). The days are short and the sun sometimes doesn't come out but there are still a few roses in bloom in the odd garden and hydrangeas are starting to bud. It is still so green. The trees, even without their leaves, are majestic. And best of all, I love the buildings- the church spires and towers.

My vacation is almost over!

2009-01-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

These three weeks we have done it all! Had Lovely family in town-
(this is the park behind our house) we miss Dreamy (Dries) terribly, celebrated a birthday- Atlas turned 12! Christmas, our 13 anniversary, a trip to Paris just Rich and me,

New Years and the Deadly UK Flu. I am recovering just now and the three littles are in the midst of it. Some highlights: me holding Paris who was just starting to get sick, Leif who had been complaining all morning that he was not feeling so good but begging to go play with his Scotland best friend. He told me that he felt like throwing up so I told him to go to the kitchen. He turned his head and started to throw up just as Richard walked in the door. I started laughing so hard. Poor Paris asked me why I was laughing. It was the culmination of the last 4 days. Me on the couch and now more sick kids to deal with. Poor Rich. Fast forward 16 hours. It is the early morning and I can't sleep. Dizzy and awake on the couch, Emilia enters announcing that she feels like throwing up. I tell her to go to the kitchen, she doesn't make it. Rich is asleep and the mess is up to me to clean. I wasn't laughing.

Our next challenge was getting rid of the Christmas tree. We are on the second floor of our flat and although we have wood floors, the stairs and entrance are all carpeted. There is no way that I'll vacuum up the millions of needles that will fall and neither will Rich, so our alternative is to toss the tree out our window.

It was a success!
And we never did any Christmas cards or any more Christmas pictures...

Relief!

2008-12-18T11:19:00.000-08:00

So I have finished the last of my exams and now it is Christmas time. (It hasn't felt like it yet) I am relieved and trying to not worry! I get my results in January sometime so until then... I have a three week break, one of which is when the kids are back in school. It will be like old times and me a stay at home mom again.

We haven't taken a successful Christmas photo yet. Our next appointment is this Saturday. We bought a tripod which was hard because we have 2 in storage. But now I can play photographer! This is one picture that is not going to be used- it is in front of Glasgow University. Any Harry Potter Fans? Does it look familiar?

Charla is coming from Rotterdam for Christmas so us "three little girls" will be together for an entire week. We are ready to PARTY.

My other news is that we bought a car last week. Our "new" car is a Mercedes. It is green and seats 7. It is an '85! It looks nice but smells so so so bad! The night we bought it Rich took it for a little drive- his first on the "wrong" side of the road and rolled down a window that the seller told us didn't work... It went down perfectly, but not back up! It stayed down for an entire week- in the rain and rain and rain- there weren't any sunny days. But now we have a car! I plan on taking it all over the UK. While I was depressed during my studying I planned many trips. Richard is excited to work on it and found a few same models on the internet that have over a million miles on them- with the original engine! Ours doesn't have near that many... It may have been very inexpensive, but hopefully we will have some good times with it.

The painting behind us is so cool, but because the lack of the light it is blurry and it was a stressful day so we didn't try too hard to get a good picture but if you look closely there are some very beautiful dead animals. I liked the boar best.

Reaching Limits

2008-12-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

So I have finally reached my limit and now wonder if I can do anything at all! I have panic attacks a few times a day (not really but sort of). It will all be over in three weeks!
Richard and I finally went out for real this past weekend. A friend and fellow student was having a party and as I have been anti-social I made Richard get out and go with me. We had a really great time. The kids were left at home in their beds. I locked the door and told Atlas that the key was on the ground by it- we have only one exit here- the door and just wanted him to know. We got home around 2 am. On the late side for me and I thought that with it being Saturday I could sleep in and would have a nice day reading and reviewing. We got into our building and up the stairs to our door and found that the key on the other side was in the lock. Our key would not go in because the lock was turned a little bit. We called on the cell phone the house phone and to our other cell phone in the house. I could hear the phones ringing. Nothing. Richard went down the stairs and buzzed. I could hear it, but no answer. We knocked and rang and buzzed. Nothing. Richard threw newspaper at the windows. I heard it thump clearly on the other side of the door. No response. Richard tried to scale the building in the frosty night, but couldn't get passed the lintel and I was afraid that he would fall and impale himself on the iron work. We played with the lock a bit and at one point I heard the kids moaning in their sleep and yes I ran down and buzzed the door. Our cell phone battery died sometime after continuous calling. In the end Richard and I tried to sleep on the carpet in front of our door. Atlas finally awoke at 7 in the morning and let us in! We were so cold and so tired. I think that I am too old to lose a whole night of sleep (and precious study time). The kids did let us sleep for a while- I think they were afraid to wake us. Two cold miserable and very irritable parents. It will be a long time before I go out and stay out late again...This it the stairwell of the flat where the party was. Little did we know that we would be spending the night in one. We were locked out because of this little imp.

A Day Out

2008-11-17T09:26:00.000-08:00

School is going good. I have less than 3 weeks left of the semester and then it is exam time. I am keeping up with everything so it should not be too difficult? I am still liking all my classes and maybe even like contract law the best? My mom has fantasies of me making millions doing international "corporation stuff" and I just roll my eyes, but I do like contracts... Only when the kids are fighting or screaming do I get panic attacks and think what the ?@%$#*! am I doing.

We took a day trip to New Lanark, a World Heritage site, about an hour outside of Glasgow- so so beautiful. We hiked to a waterfall and visited the wool mill factory town.

Five kids is not too bad!

Cammie had her baby and we got Soren for the day.

Richard shaved- I think he looks soooo great! He is trying to snarl for the camera.

Seeing Pounds

2008-11-06T08:58:00.000-08:00

I love pounds- not the few extra that make me womanly, but the little, smaller than a quarter, gold coins that we use here as currency. I love that they are heavy in my purse and that they jingle in my pocket. I love that they are so easy to spend and get back. I trade a funny bill and get groceries and lots of lovely gold coins in return. The smallest denomination in a bill is a fiver (a five pound note). There is a 2 pound coin, but it isn't as common. So every time I buy something I use lots of coins. I love them. A pound can buy a kilo of bananas, or 5 big tangerines, a cupa tea or black coffee, 2 packs of gum or a box of fabulous chocolate digestive biscuits. A pound can get me to school on the bus. I have made it a point to not think that a kilo of pasta here is a pound and is 69 cents for a pound of pasta in the states- that means that pasta here is like three times more! But still I love pounds. Someday I would love to not have any extra pounds on my person, but then I really love the chocolate digestive biscuits.
Here are a few pictures:
Being American and playing baseball in the park
The kids had three first days of school- this isn't one of them, but it is what they may have looked like on their third first day of school...
ps
Richard left the house today with just one pound coin and came home with nine... it is magic!

Dublin, Dad and a Birthday!

2008-10-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

Richard finally made it to Scotland- for the first time ever. We met in Dublin and had a great weekend. The kids are so very glad to have him back! I am too... My load is a bit lessened. Paris turned 5 yesterday! I really find it so hard to believe the fast passage of time. I can't believe that my youngest is 5. 5 is so much older sounding than 4. 5 is a little girl- 4 just a toddler. Paris was insistent on decorating her cake and that it be 5 layers. I cheated a bit with a 3 layer mini cake at the top- her piece, but it fit the bill. 5 layers and she put in the candles and flowers. I flavored the cake with cardamon- it was very subtle and in the frosting I added rose water. Just a little and it was very strong. All the kids liked it but I thought it much better today! It needed some time to mellow. In storage I have a nice collection of cake stands- here a plate that doesn't quite fit the cake!

A funny thing happened...

2008-10-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

As the kids and I were walking to school the other day I was thinking of all the people that I see everyday on our way- the old man with a turban, the little boy with the big bun on the top of his head, the couple who walk their 2 dogs, the dog group, and thinking of how beautiful it all is. We had just about left the park when some one yelled to me, interrupting my thoughts, "Did you sleep in yesterday?" I turned to look and there were 3 ladies sitting in a stairwell of a building. They were watching for us and I had never even noticed them! The day before we had been running- literally- late! But I hadn't slept in..

My latest dilemma has been food related. When I first got here I was over tired and stressed. I cannot eat when stressed. I thought that there was no way a person could gain weight walking uphill to and from school- walking everywhere. Now that I have more things figured out- we have a flat and the kids are in school, I am so much more relaxed and comfortable. How can I say no to fudge cake and to not try the different sponges and puddings- sweet and savory and when I walk past Greak bakeries and French bakeries and Middle Eastern shops I need to try it all... Especially when my sister bakes a great Chocolate cake and my mom brings home eclairs and scones. Even the grocery stores are enticing. Here in the UK the food standard is higher. Most products do not have artificial colors and flavors or preservatives- I would never eat a "fake" or store bought cake in the states. I have bought a few here... and here I don't even bake them- I don't need to! It is a great thing that I have to walk everywhere- even uphill to school and uphill back. Yet I am still baking- zucchini bread and gingerbread- and because pumpkin puree is not available for cheap in a can, I baked my own little pumpkin, made a puree with it and made a great loaf!And because it has been so long since I have posted and may be longer until I post again... I am going to Dublin this weekend to meet Rich- ALONE and bring him home, and papers to write and books to read and presentations to give and demanding kids... a visual to the phrase "poop head":

From Sunglasses to Umbrella and back again and again...

2008-10-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

Winston Churchill was reported to have said of the 6 weeks that he spend in Edinburgh, "It only rained twice. One time for 4 weeks and another for 2"- last week it did not rain at all. On Monday I wore my newest pair of shoes: lovely leopard print flats that are probably more suitable as a pair of house slippers. I would never classify my self as a slave to fashion, but I am quite partial to animal print. Of course only a wee bit of animal print. I have a pair of leopard print tights (that I have owned for over 2 years and have never worn) and a headband that my girls wear. Of course I also have 2 or 3 other leopard print shoes, but they are in storage... Well on Monday it rained. By the time I walked the kids to school and I got to school, my cute, sexy shoes were wet. The water had soaked the bottoms of my jeans, and I did not get dry until I got home around 4. On Tuesday I wore another pair of flats- some leather peep toes that are quite suitable for walking, just not the rain. I left the house wearing them and a pair of sunglasses. Around noon it rained, and then after my last lecture it was sunny again and then it rained and then was sunny....
The colors of Glasgow are changing. Now the trees have pale green, yellow, orange and purple leaves.

I do believe in Faeries, I do...

2008-09-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

O.K. i don't really, but don't tell Paris. I can almost believe in gnomes though. Can't you see one sitting on top of this and smoking a pipe?

Ok, I never knew that mushrooms like this were real. I have a few clay ones with a gnome sitting on top that I put in my garden. I always thought that red mushrooms with polka dots were just in faery tales. These mushrooms are real. I have heard that there are blue ones too? Cammie found the amazing red one.

Home Sweet, Home

2008-09-18T06:14:00.000-07:00

Our front doorOutside of buildingLobby stairs up to our flatMain hallBoys' room
Girls' room
Second hall
Second bathroom
master bedroom
living room
kitchen

laundry room
bathroon
So we have moved-in... Richard hasn't seen it yet. My favorite things about the flat are the wood floors and the high ceilings. Atlas thinks that they are 20ft, but I think more like 15ft. The kids keep telling me that they love it better than our Provo house!

Green, Green and Greener

2008-09-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

Scotland is green. Glasgow is green. The grass is so very green and there are no sprinklers. It rains almost every day. The trees are green, the walls are green with moss and even on a cloudy day- most of our days so far, the gray clouds have a green tinge to it. It is a feast for the eyes, especially for a girl coming from the desert.
We move into our flat on Wednesday and the kids start school on Wednesday. My orientation to the Law degree is tomorrow. Yes, I have finished my two books and have since read even more just to be prepared. And yes, all are invited to came for a visit. I am excited. Walking on campus is a dream. I feel younger- and at the university everything seems possible! Of course my classes haven't started... I don't even mind the rain. My hair is wavy and might even be called a "wee bit" curly. The kids' school is darling and super close to our flat. With my three little ones the total enrollment for the school will be 75. Each kid will be in a combined class with a grade higher. I can't even imagine such a small school! Atlas is going to a secondary school and he is stoked. He wants us to stay for 4 years so that he can graduate when he is 16 and have a Masters degree by the time he is 20! We will see... The "castle" in the back is part of my university. p.s. I'll post pictures and tell all about the flat when we move in!

we have arrived...

2008-09-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

No photos yet, but we are adjusting to the time change. The kids were great on the flights- they were all so excited to be traveling and going to Europe. It has rained every day, but we are enjoying it. Soren has been teaching Paris that it is ok to jump into puddles and get wet. He is overwhelmed by all his cousins. The three oldest are his personal slaves. Only Paris could care less and of course he only wants Paris to hold his hand.

We have found a flat. So we will soon be able to entertain... Anyone for a trip to Scotland- Glasgow? Now I just need to get the kids into school as THEY ARE DRIVING ME NUTS. Arr.

Back to School

2008-08-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to put up a clip of Rodney Dangerfield's Back to School. He really cracks me up. And I feel like him! OK so I am not going to be way older than everyone else, I am just going to feel WAY older. Richard told me I don't have to tell anyone that I have four kids and I don't have to wear my wedding ring! Yes, I am going back to school... To the University of Glasgow. I applied late. They let me in! I am going to study law. It has been crazy. We have been planning on moving to CA for a while and now the kids and I are going to Glasgow. In 10 days! Rich will follow later. We get 2 bags each! I have put everything into storage! My last hurdle is getting a student visa... Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I have to read 2 books on law before my classes start.

Moving

2008-08-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

Moving is hard. Saying goodbye is hard. Packing up the house is hard. Getting rid of stuff is fun. I love throwing stuff away that I have never really liked. I just wish that some of the stuff had gone way sooner! Here are some photos of things that I will miss: my front yard garden that I wanted to do for yearsMy newly painted stairs that I wanted to do but was lazy so it took a while
when I do the dishes I see sunflowers and with them the birds
I love the attic
my gate to the backyard turned out so beautiful (our neighbor made it)
I will miss the watermelon and tomatoes, the birdhouse gourds that are growing up my walkway arch, the sunny days here and all my friends and the kids' friends.

Wall Arch is no more!

2008-08-10T22:17:00.000-07:00

On our last trip to Arches National Park we spent a lot of time in the Devil's Garden. Paris and Rich stayed back at Wall Arch and played while the rest of us went to arches further along the trail. Today Wall Arch fell Down! So frightening!

Pictures of Summer

2008-08-04T10:17:00.001-07:00

my bug collection

2008-07-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Leif and his best friend came racing into the kitchen to find me and excitedly told me they found the coolest thing for me. Hum, was it a bug? I have a little collection of dead bugs that the kids have found as well as some very interesting photos we have taken of living ones... It started in Vista when one of the kids brought me this giant dead butterfly and I put it in a frame. They later found a very large alligator lizard and it too was put in a frame. My latest acquisition was a 3" beetle that the kids found at my sister's house and it is now in a little box waiting for the right frame. I am not morbid at all. It is just that the kids have found some very interesting things. Some I have embraced and others I have shunned... well, the to answer the bug question, insect it was not. I asked if it was dead. That it was. Did they kill it? (a total no no) but not to worry it already was deceased. His cute little fried gave me a wrapped paper towel. Inside it was a newly hatched, newly dead bird. It had been found on the neighbor's porch. Horrified and totally grossed out I told them to burry it. Did they think I would frame it! Maybe because they know that I like birds and growing up "Bird" was my nickname... Yikes, what do the kids think of me? And that is the second baby bird those two have brought to me!

sister power

2008-07-09T18:49:00.001-07:00

This visit of my sister has been different. For one, we didn't do much shopping. Most of the time was spent in the mountains. We went to Cascade Springs and to Bridal Vail falls where the boys disobeyed and climbed to the top of the falls. Francie and I were so mad. I had just told the boys to not go very far... you can barely see them! We went to Sundance and on the way up purchased 18 corndogs from Wienerschnitzel. Our record is 19. I was laughing so hard that I had trouble ordering. Each kid got 3... On the chair lift up to the top of Sundance, Denny lost his flip flop. After our corn dog feast (not including moms) Francie took him back to find replacement shoes and we were planning to meet either on the trail or at the bottom. I took the remaining 5 and we hiked to the falls. Leif lost his flip flop in the river. I couldn't believe it. We were half way through- 1.5 miles back up and 1.5 miles down. He hiked barefoot- "no shoes is better than one" to the top and was a total champ. We met Francie at the bottom and got a good laugh because between the boys, they had a pair of shoes. Denny lost the right shoe and Leif the left! She left yesterday with ALL my kids! No one has taken all 4 before! The best part is that I get to be home! I have already painted the bathroom and the stairs- walls and tread! I love sisters!

Better Late than Never

2008-07-02T21:41:00.001-07:00

We finally celebrated Emilia's "Birthday with friends". We try to do a friend party every other year. All the other kids got one this year and so we just could not make an exception. We waited until my sister and her kids got to town and what a party it has been... birthday or not! The only major drama was Paris wanting one of the presents. She totally threw a fit. I had to take her inside to the couch and try to get her to settle down. She finally cried herself to sleep!The beehive cake was made with a lime pound cake recipe from the williams-sonoma website. It is to die for!

Children's Parade

2008-07-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

The annual Children's Parade ends across the street from our house. We have participated in it every year that we have been here. I think that our count is up to 6, though it might be 7! So this year it was not enough to just walk in it. We didn't want to decorate bikes again, so with the help of Rich, I made t-shirts for my kids and a few of the neighbors.

Getting out of the House

2008-06-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

I had to work on Monday from before the sun rose (I got up at 4:10) and didn't get home until after 7 in the evening. I did hair and make-up for a photo shoot at Sundance. It was so beautiful up there that I decided to take the kids up the next day. We rode the chair lift up and hiked down.I always love when they line up by age... Paris was the champion. No one complained, but this time she never asked to be held nor did she tell me she was tired. It was so beautiful. We picnicked at the top and then headed down. It took us about 3 hours and we trudged through rivers and waterfalls and saw so many beautiful wildflowers and caterpillars and butterflies. Here is a giant cocoon we found. It is as big, if not bigger than my fist!Some parts of the trail had so many caterpillars that one could not help but step on them! Sometimes it sounded like it was starting to rain, but it was really caterpillars falling from the trees. I totally recommend going up there just bring twice as much water. The lift was $8 for an adult and 6 (maybe) for kids- 6- 12. Mine had passes from snowboarding so I am not really sure. I am going to take my sister when she comes next week but this next time we will hike to Stewart falls and then return to the top and take the lift down... Here the kids have just gotten down the mountain. Atlas went ahead because he was mad I would not let him swim in the beaver made ponds.
And an awesome granola recipe (Hiking=Granola):
4 cups of grain flakes (oatmeal, wheat, whatever)
1 cup of slices almonds
2Tbs butter
1/4 c flour
2Tbs sugar
pinch of salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract
Bake flakes and almonds for 10 min on 350. Combine butter, flour, sugar, salt and add toasted flakes and almonds. Combine maple, vanilla and almond extract. Mix all. Pour on buttered cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
p.s. Summer isn't going to last very long... I took this picture of a scrub oak yesterday!

What do you do in the summertime?

2008-06-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

Summer is in full swing now that Emilia's full length ballet production is over. This was her third and it will be three more years before she is in another! I was ready to have a break down driving her to lessons and rehearsals and performances. So when it was all over I made two loaves of whole wheat bread, a tart au chevre and pea crustini, and a pear tart tatin. All in one day (the kids ate the goat cheese tart but didn't like it and love the pear tart tatin). They had friends over all day and left me alone to cook and bake. The next day I made three sock monkeys. Last night Atlas and I stayed up way too late. He is working on a sock elephant. I loved having him sit next to me and sew. It was so funny when he got frustrated threading a needle. We had some real interesting conversations. We talked about police and skateboarding, wolves and coyotes. Today we relaxed and went to the pool and then made cookies. I now have 8 pounds of frozen cookie dough- each in one pound blocks. 4 chocolate chip and 4 oatmeal raisin with dates and and toasted pecans! I have company coming and must be ready!

My first trip of the summer

2008-06-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

I went to Atlanta last week to visit my baby sister Charla who had her first baby. He is a total babe! My older sister met me there and we had a great time. Atlanta was warm and sunny and there were beautiful homes and flowers and trees and I got the first picture of baby Dries smiling! I am a baby photographer pro.
I came to home to a birthday girl, another lost tooth and projects. While I was away I bought the cutest book for the sewing challenged (me).I have already had to re-sew an eye and a tail- but Paris loves "Pup"!

Summer Has Started!

2008-06-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

My first errand of the morning was to get chick food, so what did I do? I got 5 more chicks! I found out that I can have hens in the city and so now I have my own little flock. The hen house is in the works so when it is done I'll post some pictures of it. It will be similar to Poppet's. We completed our weekend project: our rose arbor- I still need to plant the roses, I baked a loaf of bread, my peonies are in bloom and I made an incredible breakfast pizza. I first had a taste of it in Big Sur last year and ever since then I have been thinking about it. I topped it with fresh arugula from the garden. Perfect!

Atlas' Omelet

2008-05-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

I took Paris to work with me today and she went to bed at 4:30. Needless to say she had fun... (She is winking at me) Atlas cooked dinner tonight. He even made dessert. Chocolate pudding. I love big kids.

Weekend Updates

2008-05-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning Richard found Poppet and Snowball eating together out of Poppet's bowl! We had a few close calls over the weekend where we thought the bird was a gonner. Last night when we put the chick in her (hopefully) coop, she was quite wet from being licked.
Emilia and Paris had their annual dance performance- both tapping. It amazes me how calm and chill they are when performing in front of hundreds. It was a packed house and a large studio... Rich and I took them out to eat- it was a girl's night with dad. The boys went to friends' houses.
Also this weekend I finished planting (for now) in my garden. I have had to pull out sunflowers and hollyhocks like they were dandelions! And of course Sunday brunch with blueberry streusel scones, lots of homemade granola, yogurt and hot chocolate!

Our newest addition

2008-05-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we got a chick! It was abandoned near my co-worker's house and as she was telling me the sad and amazing story- the chick lived through the nigh with foxes and coyotes around, I told her we would take it. Maybe this will be a temporary pet, but for now it is great. We are hoping it is not a rooster- we aren't supposed to have livestock in the downtown area. Paris has named it snowball. It follows the kids around and is very nice!

We also have a family of quails living in our backyard- isn't he beautiful? It is so cute when they run around with their babies...

Global food CRISIS

2008-05-05T17:46:00.000-07:00

I think that the reason food prices are on the rise is because of Genetically Modified Seeds. In the past when farmers harvested their crops, a portion of their seeds were saved for the next planting. Under current Monsanto laws, farmers cannot save seeds from their harvest of genetically modified seeds. They must be purchased every planting season. Monsanto is the giant of genetically modified seeds. They originally made round-up, the weed killer and needed seeds that would not be killed by their toxic product, thus introducing animal life into our food supply. For example, there are soybeans that glow in the dark due to jelly fish. Most recently in my local daily paper I read about human genes being mixed with goats and cows to "improve" their milk, but then that is off the subject of plants. Genetically modified crops are not producing as much as promised and not as much as traditionally grown- ie natural seeds. Click here to read more! A Monsanto official told the New York Times that the corporation should not have to take responsibility for the safety of its food products. "Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food," said Phil Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications. "Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA's job."

death

2008-04-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

My kids talk about death all the time. All the time.

Paris: Mom are you afraid to die?
Me: Um, no, but I don't want to. I don't want to leave you guys.
Paris: Ok, when I see a shooting star I run and get you and we can wish on it together that we will never be grandmas.
grandmas die.

Last night at the Hope for America Concert a 91 yr old lady danced and she GOT DOWN. At the end of her dance she did the splits! I was laughing so hard. It was awesome.
Enjoy this video:

joke:

2008-04-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

Why did Tigger put his head in the toilet?
He was looking for Pooh!

Charla gave Leif a huge joke book for his birthday and when flipping through it that was the first one we read!

Spring Break

2008-04-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

This is the first time since living in Utah that we have had a week for Spring Break. We took advantage of the time off from all activities and went to Moab, our favorite Utah destination. Since the kids are getting bigger we took more adventurous hikes and daring climbs in Arches. The three youngest cried only once and told Rich that they hated him when he boosted each on a ledge. Paris said that she hated Goblin Valley because it was too scary, but really we all had a great time and are trying to figure when we'll be returning. We saw a hundred deer- the kids' count was 183, 10 pronghorn antelope and a bear (in Spanish Fork Canyon on our way home). I think that Zion and Bryce Canyon are next before our National Park Pass expires.
On one of the longer driving segments we had this conversation: Paris to me: "Mom, is Mickey Mouse real?" Emilia and Richard together: "yes, at Disneyland-you remember!" Paris screems:"NO- I am asking MOM" Me: No, he isn't a real person like you and me". Paris: "I know Mom, he is a mouse!" Duh! I was laughing too hard to say anything else.

growing up

2008-04-07T17:31:00.000-07:00

My Saturdays of late have been my grocery shopping day. I get it all done in the morning and then relax the rest of the day. Well this past Saturday I was at Walmart earlyish in the morning. As I got all my groceries I also went looking for undershirts for Emilia. In the Girls' department there was a mom who was buying what look liked a first bra for one of her daughters. The daughter was so embarrassed and kept hiding behind the clothes rack as the mom was picking up bra after bra and checking the size etc! It reminded me of getting my first bra- way before I needed it, but so wanting it. My mom took me and of course my sisters and a friend who's mom wasn't around, to Mervyn's. I think my first size was a AAA and it still didn't quite fit! And I can still feel the embarrassment when I forgot to wear it a few times in the 7th grade even though I didn't need it. Thank you girl's PE!

O.k, on to more important matters: I found the very best chocolate chip cookie recipe. It comes out great every time- even when I half the recipe. When halving, I use the pound plus dark chocolate bar from Trader Joe's- one of the few benefits of a traveling husband. It freezes well too. I put many scoops on a cookie sheet and freeze them for later.

Need a Laugh? Read on...

2008-03-31T15:04:00.000-07:00

Here are two at my expense!
1. O.K. so it snowed all day yesterday. It was a wet snow and as we were walking to church, one of the kids thought it was funny that some people were carrying umbrellas. I told him the snow felt nice. Well, on the home, Atlas suggested we walk through the parking garage to not get so wet. I said that it was such a short walk to enjoy the snow. Once home I went to the bathroom and saw my self in the mirror... My mascara had run. It was above my eyes, below my eyes- I looked like a scary lady and not one of my kids told me! No one that I chatted with did either! What must they think?
2. This morning I put on waterproof mascara and headed off to work. I dropped off my kids at school and drove to my school. My car sort of slid into the parking space and I gathered my purse and lunch bag and thermos full of hot tea and opened my door. I stepped out and slid completely on my back landing between my car and the next. My purse and lunch bag with my thermos both landed right side up! I shut my car door while on my back and debated how to get up! I pondered crawling to the sidewalk, but found that slowly I could stand! Amazingly I was not hurt. Wet, but no pain and no one saw! I wish they had. I am laughing now just thinking about it. A video would have been so funny! I was so surprised though. It has been a long time since I have slipped.

And where is SPRING????

One a penny, two a penny

2008-03-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

Hot Cross Buns

Hope all had a nice Easter. The weather was great for mid March.. It could have been snowing! We started the day a bit late as the kids turned on the TV and didn't watch "Funny Little Bunnies" but "Jurassic Park"! After baskets, brunch, a hunt and church, the kids played outside- skateboarding etc and in the dirt and got all dirty! During Church the boys got a little squirmy and so I told them to "tattoo" my arms. It was a hit!

I have been Tagged...

2008-03-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Suzie...

O.K. Seven Facts about me:

1. I was a teenage bride! I was married 1 month before I turned 20. I see girls at 19 and 20 and think that they are so very young, but I was ready and Rich and I have lasted 12 plus years.

2. I love to travel. I love to see new places and visit old ones. The first time I went to Europe I thought that I had died and gone to heaven. I was 18, on my own and stayed for over 3 months. It was most liberating and confidence boosting (if that makes any sense). I stayed with friends of friends in an arab village in Paris, hostels all over and with a friend who had been a foreign exchange student at my high school. I went where ever I wanted and called home occasionally! France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic.

3. My one major regret is that I didn't go to grad school. I got accepted to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and was offered a scholarship. I really should have accepted it. At the time though I didn't have support. My whole family (and husband) was against it. Looking back Rich and I talk about how it would have been so very cool- oh well....

4. I went for 6 weeks to the Middle East with a sister-in-law and an 18 month old baby- a consolation trip in lieu of grad school. We had one backpack and a really cool baby backpack. One night in Cyprus we slept on the beach in sheets- there was no vacancy at all anywhere. We awoke to some old fisherman laughing- I think about us. Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and a few nights in Germany.

5. I really like working!

6. I am not naturally blonde anymore- surprise surprise. I don't know what my hair color is except that is is darker.

7. I have had all drug free/natural births and my last 3 have been at home!

2 years ago Francie and I went to Sequoia National Park. We encountered a few bears and had a fantastic time. We are planning on returning this summer...

I have tagged:
Cammie
Charla

while I'll never be cool to my kids...

2008-03-11T21:32:00.000-07:00

I just found my Bob Marley CD and we played it this morning as everyone was getting ready for the day. It reminded me of 2 summers ago- Living in California I was feeling like taking a trip down memory lane and was listening to Bob and UB40. The kids hated it. It was torture for them, but I am the driver, it is my car and I am in charge : ) Fast forward to last summer- Atlas started going to the neighborhood skate shop. One afternoon he came home and he was asking for the Bob Marley CD AND singing one of the songs.

here is a little treat... a slide show to the redemption song... Don't you love it?

My new best friends!

2008-03-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

It was time... I got a job and I am working almost full time- the entire time the kids are at school. In fact I work at a school and am the new technology teacher for the mobile lab! Paris was bumped up to full time preschool and is so happy. They day before I even applied for the job she said that she would not go to school unless she could stay the entire day! Her wish was granted! Well, my new best friends are fantastic! They are making life so much easier in my very long and hectic day. My first best friend has been around forever, but we didn't do much. But now she is working for me while I am away...today she made me chicken tacos! Ok, she just cooked the chicken, but that was enough!
And my other best friend just speeds stuff up for me! I grew up with her and I just got a new and updated version as she wasn't working for me properly!
They have been so great I had time to make a celebration cake for myself in the meantime! It is the carrot cake from joyofbaking.com- the best baking website! And since I am working with integrating computer and learning I found the greatest website for kids. I showed it to my kids and each one thought that it was the greatest site ever!
http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm (sorry you'll just have to cut and paste- links weren't working!)
your kids will love it... and so will you. Our favorites are the Dutch house and still life, but there is so much more we haven't explored!

express

2008-03-01T08:49:00.001-08:00

The other day as I was getting in the door from taking my kids home and to dance etc, I was thinking that I didn't have time to cook dinner. That really disappointed me. I have laundry lists of menus and dinner ideas, even quick ones. But that afternoon I was plum tired- making me extra disappointed. I cook dinner almost every night. Like 99.9% of the time. Going out to eat is sort of a let down- especially with 4 kids. Not to mention the cost... I can make them eat my food at home, it is so much harder making any kid eat in a restaurant... Threats work so much better at home! Anyways, I love to cook. It is part of my identity. Sunday brunch, Friday night home-made pizza... French food, whatever. I don't think that I am so great a cook, but I like it and I hate going to a restaurant and coming home thinking that I could have made it. Granted I live in a little city and the food here is fine, but cooking is a passion of mine. So, I was so happy to find a late Birthday present on my door step from Charla, even more happy when it was a cookbook and an express one! I flipped through it right away and decided to make a spanish tortilla. I hadn't made one before and had been wanting to and had all the ingredients on hand. Everybody loved it and I wished that I had made 2! Thank you so much Charla!

winter fun

2008-02-23T17:32:00.000-08:00

I hate being cold. It is really miserable for me. I would rather be sweaty hot than freezing cold. I would rather toss and turn in the hot hot summer nights than the cold cold winter ones. But I live where it snows and winter always lasts longer than I want or remember. So we try to have fun and get through it. Last weekend we took the kids snowboarding up at Sundance. Leif and Emilia are about the same level and they stick together. Leif is little. He is about a head shorter than Emilia. One is goofy footed and the other is regular, so they have their comfortable side for riding the lift. Well, on their very first run, as they were getting ready to get on the lift, two older, and thus bigger, girls hurried to get on and in so doing, got on a little bit before Leif and Emilia. As they got on a head of my two, the lift chair swung up. Emilia got on, but Leif who is smaller, tried but the chair hit him at the arm pits. I was watching from afar and I could not do anything. The lift operators who were close and watching and didn't do anything. I watch and thought that any second Leif would fall onto a nice soft pile of powder. I finally heard one of the operators say to the other to stop the lift as it climbed higher and higher. By the time the lift was stopped, one of the older girls had lifted Leif to sitting position! I hoped that they had the idea to pull down the safety bar as they traveled on out of sight. They sat alone next few rides.

And of course what is best after being in the snow all day? Homemade cinnamon buns with vanilla- steamed (organic) milk and a soak in the tub.

Happy Love Day!

2008-02-13T16:09:00.000-08:00

I love my kids. Sometimes more than other times. I really love it when they are in bed asleep. Last night they just would not go to sleep. Yesterday evening Emilia discovered that she lost her "writer's olympic" paper for the second time. Writer's olympic is a writing contest at my kids' school and they have been working on their papers for about a month now. She was devastated. The paper is due tomorrow, Friday! Exasperated I told her, "Oh well, I guess you cannot enter!" So I sent her to bed. After stories and lights out, I kept hearing footsteps. I went up and found the three biggest in the bathroom with the light on and sent them to bed. A little bit later Richard did the same. And again and again. At one point Richard said that they would be in the Special Olympics if they didn't get enough sleep. So this morning on the way to school, Emilia held up a bunch of papers and said that she could now be in the Writer's Olympics. Atlas helped her rewrite her story! Having written it two times before, she dictated while Atlas wrote. Apparently Atlas writes faster! I love when the get along and help each other- that is when I love them the most!

Enough Said

2008-02-11T09:25:00.001-08:00

share the love

2008-02-08T09:09:00.000-08:00

So this is the weekend before Valentine's day... I have been busy! I have been making a mess- I mean crafting.

No baking this week. Next week I'll make the cabbage galette. This week it has been valentine banners and crowns. I had a fantastic birthday weekend. I am liking being out of town for my birthdays. Last year I was in Paris. How cool was that, it was my 31st b-day on the 31st of January! This year I got to leave town again. I spent a lovely weekend in San Diego joining Rich for a few days sans kids. Hot tubbing in the morning and later in the rain. We walked around Balboa Park and Old Town and Mission San Juan Capistrano. I love that my sister lives so close to everything. I even had sun. Bright blue sunny skies. Can you tell we are on vacation?

Super Tuesday

2008-02-05T11:31:00.000-08:00

My neighbor just dropped these by and I put them up before she left! I have never before put a bumper sticker on my car.... I know this won't make the news, but I do live in the most Red state in the union!