Family Photo Blooper Reel

On Friday, Joshua got it into his head that we needed to have a party with surprises.  So, we blew up some balloons, bought cupcakes, made a sign, and wrapped up some little surprises.  I insisted that we needed to get a family picture because we hadn't done that yet.  Well, Henry slept through his entire welcome party and Joshua was floating between exhaustion-induced hyperactivity and complete toddler meltdown.  Here is a taste of how the photo shoot went.   

We did manage to get one where it seems those of us who can smile are.  It may not be a perfect portrait, but it is a fun memory.

Longaberger

As our time in Ohio starts to wind down, we are trying to spend the next couple weeks doing the things we have put off for a couple of years.  This time we visited the Longaberger basket. 

Longaberger is an institution in this area and they are known for their excellent (if not overpriced) baskets.  They are also known for their basket shaped buildings.  We have driven by the office building many times on our way to find Thai and Indian food.  No photo available, but imagine and office building that Yogi Bear might try to steal.

On our way home from our Independence Day adventures, we went a few miles out of our way to the Longaberger Homestead and found the giant apple basket.  Due to the rain and Jerry's disappointment that is wasn't more like a Disney Castle. we took a photo from the car. 

Tom's Ice Cream Bowl

This spring we have been taking some time to enjoy some of the quintessential spots in the area.  For almost two years, we've been told that we MUST visit Tom's Ice Cream Bowl.  The ice cream was good.  The atmosphere was old-timey.  The sandwiches were ... meh.  We wanted to try the nuts, but a certain toddler of ours was recently diagnosed with a hazelnut allergy.  It was a fun departure from our typical routine. 

Literary Tourism - Oregon

Emily's Runaway Imagination by Beverly Cleary

When I learned that Beverly Cleary would be celebrating her 100th birthday this week, I decided it was time to revisit one of my old favorites of hers.   I sat back, relaxed, a breathed in the sweet smell of an aging paperback. 

Emily lives in Pitchfork, Oregon, a small farm town.  She is envious of her cousin, Muriel, who gets to visit the public library in Portland and check out any books she wants, especially Black Beauty.  Emily and her mom decide that it is high time that Pitchfork had a library too.  They start fundraising and collecting books so they can have the joy of a library in their own town.

I love this book.  It's in Cleary's typical episodic style so each chapter could stand alone.  Emily is energetic, brave, and a little bit prone to trouble.  She gets the hogs drunk with rotten apples and bleaches her horse, but saves the day when her grandfather can't stop his Model-T Ford.  Cleary has a special ability to really understand the mind of a child.

This book also created an excellent sense of place.  While it is a far cry from representing today's Oregon, it illustrates very directly, Cleary's Oregon, the Oregon of her childhood.  Many references were made to Emily's pioneer ancestors. the men and women who crossed the Oregon Trail to settle on the frontier.  There was even a Chinese character representing the many who travelled from Asia to the western United States and the time.  For a book of its age,  it handled this little bit of diversity very respectfully. 

If you're looking for a charming, quick childish read. this is a great choice.

To My Unborn Son

Before you were conceived,

I dreamed of you;

Then woke to search 

Through rooms, in beds and under cushions.

Frenzied, I would whisper

Where is he?

Until my consciousness reminded me

You were not there.

Now in quiet moments, I feel the flutter

Of your arms and legs inside me

As I pray that you will grow

Healthy, strong, and good.

Soon, I will swaddle you,

Lay you in your bassinet,

And fall asleep to the rhythm of your breath

Until I wake with a mother’s anxiety.

Frenzied, I will whisper

Where is he?

Until I realize, you are there

Filling the vacancy in our home.

Joshua's Favorite Things

Oprah has list of favorite things to market specific products.  I've decided that Joshua should have list of favorite things to help market his awesomeness.  So here you are.

Favorite Toys: 

1.  Balls
2.  Mr. Monkey
3.  Balls of other sizes.

Favorite Foods:

1/  Blueberries
2.  Oranges  (Are you sensing a ball-like theme.)
3.  Broccoli

Favorite animal.

1.  Dogs ... just dogs ... any dogs ... all dogs

Favorite books:

1.  Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do YOu See?  
2.  Bugs, Bugs, Bugs
3.  Goodnight, Moon

Favorite Things To Play With (Not Toys)

1.  Pots and Pans
2.  Hairbrushes
3.  Daddy's Ties

To be continued ...

The Ramblings of a Toddler

Look! A rock - oh there's some leaves!

I'll stuff the brown ones up my sleeves.
They're itchy  - oh look the rock
I should stick it down my sock.

That hurts a bit - I see a bug
It looks dead. I want a hug.
Mommy, will you carry me?
Down, down!  Another bug!  See.

Mommy, watch me climb those stairs.
One step, two - now it's a chair
Tap, tap my legs against the stone.
Look up - no let's just go home.

Running, running, now I walk.
Let's go – Hey, look, a rock!