tromping through the tulips

We've been trying to make it to the tulip fields for the last two weeks and the stars finally aligned to make it so today.  Can I just say that it was the perfect day for enjoying the tulip fields?  The sun was shining, the wind was slight and it was a Thursday, which means that the crowd was mainly sweet grandparents and preschoolers.  (this vs. every child in the Portland area that has just about every Friday off of school!)  Beautiful.  As a mother, I couldn't have asked for a better day.  We spent a good three hours there just enjoying the scenery, playing on the bumpy slides, riding the traditional cow train (what?  you've never been on the cow train before?) and picnicking in their gardens while the girls attempted a game of badminton.  As a mother, it was 100% successful.  As a mother, I wouldn't change a thing minus giving us a few more hours there instead of rushing back for soccer.  This brings us to the *other* reason that we tromp through the tulips every April.  Pictures, of course!  The photographer in me knows that a slightly overcast day acts as the perfect diffuser for Mr. Sun, although the mother in me knows that that doesn't lend to the hours of unhurried enjoyment that a sunny day provides.  And the mother in me also doesn't allow the photographer in me to tote around a diffuser, knowing that it will only lead to chaos and one more thing to carry around for those hours of unhurried enjoyment.  So.  We had a beautiful day that my children will always remember (or they dang well better, right?) but not such a beautiful day for pictures.  I just thought of the good part of this whole thing.  No matter overcast or sunny, we can still enjoy it, eh? (or at least I can still enjoy it!)

One of the highlights?  Opting for the drive through the country instead of the highway, driving with our windows down while Rachel read us The Brownie and the Princess.  Love the cool air blowing in our car.  Love the rolling hills.  Love hearing Hannah excitely point out *every* single horse that we drove by.  Love my daughter being anxious to share a story that she loved by one of my favorite authors.  I would have been content to turn around as soon as we got there just to enjoy another drive like that through the countryside.

*this is for the folks that might, for some crazy reason, think my kids fight.  Nope.  It always looks just like this.  hugs and kisses and sweet acts of sisterly love.*  (which, I actually do think that for the amount of time they spend together, fighting takes up a very small percentage of the total time spent together but there is definitely fighting.  Oh, yes.)

Fooking lor some lood gaughs?

My appreciation for a good spoonerism probably dates back to my dad's renditions of Rindercella, but add in a little bit of humor a la Shel Silverstein and you get a good hour of gilly siggling for the fole whamily.  I think Runny Babbit is going to be the new prescription in the Kang house for grumpy kids. (and parents)  You just can't read this book and stay cranky.  Magic.  We still have two weeks to enjoy our library edition, but I think this is going to have to be purchased to be giggled over for many an hour. 

Side note: I have also found that Chloe doesn't like me "spoonering" in random story books.  It kind of irritates her, yet Hannah begs me to do it.  Elise, on the other hand, is just confused by it. "No bunny foo foo honked on the bed!"  

Side note #2: I am adding a pole as I need input.  The Kang house has been proudly TV free for 5 years, but we have always had our computer to watch movies on.  About 3 months ago, an adventurous 2 year old stuck a mystery object in the DVD ROM and we have since then only been able to watch movies on Chris' laptop. (limiting our movie watching to when he is home and not on his computer)  It has been quite nice as we (including Elise) hardly watch any movies at all, but Costco has a DVD/TV on sell for pretty cheap....and we are debating.  The negative right now is that it is very inconvenient to watch movies and the positive is that...it is very inconvenient to watch movies.  Give me your take on it.

Our little jaunt up to the Kitsap Peninsula

On Saturday, we hurried up to Port Orchard for Annika's baptism.  As much as I wouldn't miss such a special day for the world, I almost feel bad for going because of the craziness that I feel like we added to the "show".  We minimized it a little by staying in the nearby and ever so classy Days Inn (that apparently hates children under the age of 4) and I guess Lilly was probably the loudest one of the bunch at the actual baptism. Chloe just commented that she didn't hear Lilly, but that would be because I was out in the hallway with her most of the time.  Every time she gets in an area that has good acoustics, she starts talking to everyone around her...even if that place is a church.  Loud kids aside, we had a great time visiting Lia's family and even came home with an incubator for some baby chicks we are planning to hatch.  We should try going a little less often because Elise has related the frequency of our visits to our proximity to Lia's house.  When I asked if she wanted to go to the park yesterday, she told me that she wanted to go on the purple slide at Aunt Lia's house.  Sorry, no more 3 hour drives until June, Elise.  

rocking it

A few years ago I remember hearing a man on the radio talking about the rocking chair test.  He said that you will never see his car clean because it just doesn't pass his test.  He has decided that when he is old and sitting on his front porch in his rocking chair, he probably won't be spending a large amount of time regretting the time he didn't spend cleaning his car.  I like this.  My car reflects my life style.  There is no way in heck that you will look in my car and not know that its primary job is to tote around six girls to various activities and adventures because cleaning it out every day just hasn't passed the rocking chair test for me.

Another thing that I am not so great at is cleaning my house.  If I had more time, I would go around and take pictures of my disgustingness just to make you all feel better.  My laundry room looks very....laundryish.  And in general, my house is pretty far from clean.  These both go back to two things.  One is that I hate to spend a lot of time cleaning during the day while all of the kids are running around doing school because it just doesn't stay clean for more than 2 minutes. (consider it a hazard of homeschooling and move on) and the other is that spending a lot of time on straightening up throughout the day just doesn't pass the aforementioned test.   

Don't get me wrong.  There are times (like when guests are coming over) that I run around like a madman straightening up and all, but if any of you decide to stop by randomly, brace yourselves.  And think rocking chair.   And just about any crafting that is done in my house is either done during naptime with a kid on my lap or during the hours of 10pm-2am. (Chloe just read this over my shoulder and said "What?  You really stay up that late?")  My secrets are out.  Uh oh.    

chilling it at Hagg Lake

Seven months after moving out to Forest Grove and we finally went to Hagg Lake.  Yesterday was a gorgeous day that was calling us outside so we hopped in the car, threw in our blanket (and the kids) to chill it for the evening.  What I love about our girls?  That I took them somewhere with "nothing to do" and they relaxed, had a great time and put their imaginations to work.  It was a tranquil evening, complete with some very loud singing on the way home. (thus the quote from the lovely Elise: "I hate that song!  I want 2 monkeys!")  If any of you want to visit Hagg Lake, give us a call and we'll meet you there for a impromptu picnic!

Oh, what a beautiful morning!

What a beautiful day!  It killed me to drag the kids on errands for the first half (during piano) so we made up for it by holding our school outside for a few hours.  We were "interrupted" a few times, observing our backyard friends (our many birds that we entice in with some tasty bird seed/ nectar) and the blossoming trees.  Laying on the blanket with the girls, checking their math, I was overcome with gratitude to all of our friends at Nike that made this possible. (Think PBS: This program was brought to you by Chris' amazing friends at Nike)  No matter how beautiful the day, I can't imagine that it would have been nearly as tranquil if we had our blankets set out in the mud.  Yep.  It just doesn't sound as nice.  Three hours later, I brought the girls in to get a few other subjects done, which upset Elise greatly.  Yes, she could theoretically stay out by herself but where is the fun in that?  She kept pulling Rachel to the door, asking her to jump on the trampoline.  Rachel told her that she couldn't because she was reading.  Elise's response?  She chucked the book to the floor and told Rachel that she DID NOT want to read and that she wanted to jump on the trampoline.  Elise knows best, apparently.   And none of this would have been if our backyard was still a muddy, goopy clay mess. 

Orion is my new main squeeze

All of the girlies and I adventured out to our first star party tonight, courtesy of the lovely people at OMSI, at Stub Steward Park.  To say that we enjoyed ourselves is an understatement and I think that we will be working on Astronomy this week.  Yes, it was a little cold and I don't know if we would have made it to the fun part (you know, once the sun went down and all) if it weren't for our friends showing up and giving me an extra dozen hands or so for baby wrangling.   My favorites of the night?  Seeing Saturn, complete with rings and moons and meeting Orion's nebula.   There were many telescopes set up by their owners who were friendly, patient with children and willing to impart their astrological knowledge to anyone willing to listen.  We came knowing about....very few constallations. (I am not willing to confess my small scope of knowledge to all of you out there!)  We left having Orion under our belt :) and having seen Mercury, Saturn, Triton, the winter triangle, Betelgeuse, Rigel, Cassiopeia, Leo, the big dipper and the little dipper.  I say it was a hit with all parties involved and we are already making plans to attend the next star party in two weeks.  (this time: hot cocoa, a tent for little ones to chill and maybe a picnic before sunset?)  Thank you, OMSI and the wonderful Rose City Astronomers for answering all of our questions. (and letting Hannah look in their telescopes over and over because she had an especially hard time seeing things tonight!)