Merry & Mod at home

Super G is three!

What a difference a year makes. My youngest is three. There are no more babies in my house. There is no more napping at my house. Instead, I have a big boy jumping fearlessly into the pool, trusting that I will catch him safely. His sweetness is evident in the many times he says I love you, in his cuddles and hugs. And yet, he has discovered his stubborn, defiant streak. He will make his own choices, or else.  

It is our job to help him revel in his independence, so he may be comfortable and happy as a big boy. I will love him regardless of his defiance, and together we will find a path through his inflexibility.

I have been reveling in his well-rested smiles. The corners of his sweet mouth tip us, showing his white teeth and apple cheeks; his eyes sparkle. And my heart warms like strawberries in the June sunshine. 

between the sheets

When a beloved friend announced she's eloping in Italy to marry the man of her dreams, immediately I knew I wanted to make something special for her bridal luncheon.  Such occasions make me so happy to be a reasonably creative person.  I can purchase a decent pair of sheets, thread my needle and suddenly create a potential heirloom. 

 

 

 

But the best part was the presentation.  I think this shows my dedication to our friendship: admitting to a crowd of unknown women (and blog readers) that yes, I have been known to read a trashy novel...or forty.  I was blushing while wrapping this, and I don't think it was the, ahem, balmy evening. 

 

Mama, why is  there a red light bulb?

- So Amanda can be cozy with her sweetheart.

Are these people being cozy?

- Oh.  Um.  Yes.  Yes, they are. 

'

It was worth it all to see her so pleased, so glowing, so in love.  She puts the most passionate fictional heroine to shame. 

so wonderful

 

Motherhood is truly the best job ever.  And to be celebrated on a special day, to share it with my own mother, to be treated to brunch, champagne, a manicure and pedicure, to dream of planting a garden that just may grow as quickly as my children, to be given a box of lizards and unending raspberry kisses...well it just doesn't get much better.  So thank you.  Thank you. 

Procession of the Species

 

Bald eagle.  Shark.  Mama bird. 

 

In our natural habitat. 

 

The Procession of the Species is an annual Earth Day event in Bend.  Children, families, all sorts of people dress up like mountains, trees, insects and animals and walk around a few blocks downtown.  I found it tremendously fun and loved the community spirit.  Also, it was a wonderful opportunity to play with glitter and feathers and a glue gun.

new necklaces

 

 

 

 

"You're the prettiest, Mama.  You're the fanciest!"

 

It was a great day for art projects.  Simple and spontaneous...that's the best kind.  He found a little pouch of wood and glass beads on my desk and asked, "Can I have them?  Please, please, please?"  He was adamant that he wanted to make the necklace for me.  And he was surprisingly focused through to the end.  I've been wearing it all day.  Unfortunately, I was unable to take a decent photo of the finished product (my yoga clothes have been well accessorized today). 

 

 

(The red smudge on his cheek is leftover from the thumbprint drawings.)

TV dinner

A rare treat on the evenings my husband misses dinner:  pizza and a movie.  Slowly, I'm learning to bake my own bread.  It's not easy to create the perfect sandwich loaf.  But homemade pizza dough?  Easy as pie.  Pizza pie.  I follow Mark Bittman's recipe in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and add toppings as my panty and fridge allow.  That means sometimes there is red sauce, always there are cheese and veggies, occasionally some sausage or salami, even an egg.  The only constant is to layer the flavors sparingly - each slice should have a little of everything, but not be too dense or overwhelming - and to let the pizza rest for five minutes after slicing. 

What about the carrots and apple slices, you ask?  I add them to the cutting board and thus I can boast to serve a bevy of healthy options with dinner.  Let's keep it a secret between us that I ate them all. 

bubbles and favorite blanket

 

Decades ago, this blanket lived on my parents' bed.  As a child, I remember my family of five picnicking on it during concerts in the park and days at the beach.  It kept me warm during college - I especially loved the groovy look back then.  It's spent innummerable hours in the trunk, traveling up and down the coast, playing host to countless lazy afternoons and starry evenings. 

It's still a favorite.  As early spring brings warmer afternoons, one of my favorite activities is sitting on the blanket.  I'm the only one who stays put for any length of time - the baby prefers to crawl through the grass and the toddler usually chooses to dig or to ride his bike.  I enjoy the weak sunshine on my face, breathing deeply, treasuring these fleeting moments of calm.

chasing ducks

 

 

 

On mornings like this, I revel in my new status as a stay-at-home mama.  I forget about the near exasperation of getting all three of us fed, dressed, shod and apporpriately bundled for the elements as we hurry to leave the house before someone starts climbing the walls. 

We visit the library (sometimes we partake in story time, sometimes we don't) then head to a nearby coffee shop.  My son has a treat of some sort and I enjoy a second dose of caffiene while we cuddle on a worn couch and read our new stories together.  Usually the baby obliges by napping in the stroller.  This morning, after said ritual, we walked through the park, chasing ducks, enjoying unseasonably warm weather and a clear blue sky. 

Let it Snow!

There isn't much snow on the ground in the mountains.  Too much for hikers, insufficient for skiers:  perfect for us.  With a simple picnic of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and the last pears in the fruit bowl, we enjoyed a cozy lunch sheltered on the ridge, warmed by a cheery fire. 

Walking back to the car, I backtracked to retrieve a lost mitten.  Standing on the trail in the sunshine, alone, I understood:  snow is our new beach. 

 

 

 

 

 

California Recap

The wildfires and excessive heat did not exactly inspire a shopping bonanza last weekend at the Holiday Gift Bazaar.  Regardless, I enjoyed a whirlwind weekend with dear friends and family, many of whom came to admire my wares and left with little Merry & Mod bags full of presents for themselves and others. 

On Saturday evening, the old skate team reunited for dinner at La Vecchia.  I enjoyed the perfect mimosa and excellent eggs florentine at Anisette the next morning, followed by my first-ever facial at Willow Spa.  (I also had my eyelashes tinted.  It's an indulgence, I know, but it will help you look rested, no matter how tired you may be.) 

I celebrated the coming of a best friend's first baby that afternoon.

 

Later that evening, Kiesha and I had dinner at Mozza Pizzeria, a true Hollywood hot spot.  I recommend the butterscotch budino and Nancy Silverton's chopped salad. 

Returning to Oregon, I found two very welcoming little boys and one tired husband.  Traveling solo was a strange emotional mixture of independence and home sickness.  Happily, my family found their own creative moments without me.

They built a flying hockey stick...

and a bug house (which somehow involved the ax; I prefer not to ask questions).