Mighty Dragon

Last week the temps in Seattle soared into the 90's; it was glorious! While my neighbors were hunkering down in their basements, I was skipping through my garden with a watering can, setting up the Slip 'n Slide for my kids, and making popsicles. Actually, we were all loving it. I think we were all lacking in vitamin D.

On one of those days, Jakey tripsied out of the house in his fleecey, footed doggy jammies. I was sitting on the lawn talking to my friend, and our little girls were playing on the Slip'n Slide.

"Jake, it's too hot for you to wear those," I told him.

"No it's not."

"Yes it is. You'll die of heat stroke."

"No I won't."

We went back and forth a few times, and I succumbed. Jake disappeared back in to the house, only to reappear wearing his fleecey green dragon costume from Halloween OVER his fleecey doggy jammies. Oh, great. He was so pleased to have put it on by himself that I couldn't bear to burst his bubble. He tromped over to me and announced that since he was a Mighty Dragon today, he was going to go and scare Thys and his buddy, who were playing basketball. I laughed, said "OK", and he was on his way. I watched him stealthily creep up behind the two unsuspecteing 11 year -olds, who were totally lost in their game of two on two. Little did they know that they were only moments away from being totally scared out of their pants by a four year old.

Jakey crept up behind them and, "ROAR!!!!"

I didn't expect the big boys to jump nearly as high as they did, or at all! My friend and I couldn't stop laughing.

Jake went inside and changed into a different "costume." He still had his dragon headdress on, but he put on his Thomas shirt, his soccer shorts, one unzipped leg from a pair of his britches, and a Ryan sock. Somehow he thought it would be funny to interlace a giant sized pick up stick throughout his gettup (and it was). He came to me a few minutes later.

"Momma," he said, "if you help me take off my costume, you will see the cute little monster who is hiding inside."

Ah man, I didn't need to help him with his costume to see that. He already is the cutest little monster in the house. I think I need to start a blog expressly for the Jakey. Watch for "cutelittlemonster.blogspot.com".

Freaky Ride o' Life

This morning, after Josie rose with the "butt-crack of dawn" (as aunt Jen-Jen says), I fell back asleep and REM-ed it for the next hour and a half. I usually drag my dreams to the trash bin in my head after I wake up, not caring to remember them, but this one gave me food for thought.

Somehow I found myself in what seemed like an amusement park. There was noise and confusion and a lot of unfamiliar faces all around me, many of them beautiful faces that almost looked like Mardi-Gras masks. There was a single roller coaster ride in my dream, and when I stepped on and into my seat, I noticed I had Ryans brothers on the ride to accompany me. The ride was fearsome: I felt terrified. We were literally jamming through rough and rugged earthy terrain: pumping up rocky cliffs, plunging down massive waterfalls, falling through crevices/cracks in the earth, never seeming to slow down. Every now and again there seemed to be a checkpoint where there was another beautiful person/face manning the ride. I could never tell if they were friend or foe. I was scared, no doubt, but comforted that the bro's were with me. Somewhere along the ride, we came to a brief halt. There were more checkers/strangers with flashlights looking to see who was in each car. Ryans brothers and I felt compelled to hide...we melted in to the face of the cart we were riding in to avoid the probing. The checker searching to see who was in our car shape-shifted in to some kind of spider and crawled all around our cart trying to find us. Then we were off again and the ride came to a stop.

When the ride ended, I found myself in some kind of Broadway play finale: all of the beautiful people were singing and dancing and moving about in some kind of formation that I hadn't rehearsed. Somehow I felt like they were surrounding me and ready to move in on me, just like the spider lady. I slowly stepped back to the outskirts of the stage to watch, not wanting to be the awkward foundling who didn't know what she was doing onstage, or anybody's lunch. Then I found myself standing next to Ryan, who was watching the performance. He smiled, didn't say anything, and put his arm around my waist. I held on tight to him. I felt all fear melt away; no worries anymore. Occasionally one of the strangers would eye us suspiciously, or enviously? Ryan was not afraid. In fact, there was a trace of amusement playing with the corners of his mouth, as if to say, "Why are you always a scaredy-cat?"

I'll bet he never has freaky roller coaster dreams, or anything of the like.

There are three things from my dream that I know to be true:

1. If I ever find myself travelling lifes road alone, there are few other companions I would choose aside from Ryans family and my own. I love that Ryans brothers accompanied my on the freaky ride o' life.

2. Many of the distractions around us are beautiful and tantalizing. They seem to be waiting to draw me in, "just like a spida." What will I determine is beautiful and worthwhile, after all of the sifting has been done? Is it just me who sometimes feels like the dark side is ready to prey?

3. Finally, Ryan is constant, steady, and unafraid. I find a lot of peace in my life because HE is a peaceful person. When the last curtain calls, I'm glad to know he'll be beside me, lighthearted and happy as always.

Now not to worry...I won't be blogging about Ryan every single entry I make. Don't know why, but like I mentioned in my last entry, I keep thinking about how lucky I am to have been thrown into his path. But he is worth mentioning every now and again, don't you think?

Smell the Lilacs

Grandma & Baby Angi















Ryan and Surry friends

Whoever coined the phrase, "Stop to smell the roses" may never have smelled lilacs in their lifetime. If you had the choice between the two, wouldn't it be the latter? I don't know why, but for the past 3 weeks I've been noticing them for the first time. Dark purple, lavendar, magenta and gentle pink. And as if the blossom wasn't enough to draw you in, you can't help but walk by one and feel it gently pulling you in to smell their delicious smell. "Aren't these blossoms fragrant, Marilla? Drink them in!"

I think subconsciously I'm remembering back to Grandma Ruby's funeral; one of the musical numbers she selected was "My Heavenly Father Loves Me." Whenever I touch a velvet rose, or walk by a lilac tree, I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world...Heavenly Father created for me." I keep thinking about Grandma when I see the lilacs, but also, I think of Ryan. Ryan?

Have you ever read the book 'Ferdinand the Bull?' You know, the gentle giant of a bull who wants nothing more than to live a quiet life in his pasture, smelling all of the flowers? Well, if Ryan were any character from a childrens book, it would be Ferdinand. I think one of Ryans love languages is smell, if that is one. He loves to smell flowers....LOVES. In fact, we were on vacation in Seaside Oregon this last weekend and went on a surry ride through the little streets we were staying in. This surry was packed full of friends (most of them little people, 8 of them). At one point he pedaled by a house decked out with lilacs and rhodedendrons. He stopped the surry, made everyone bail out and cross the street so that they could take a wiff of the lilacs. And there they were again (the lilacs, I mean). I love that Ryan stops to smell the flowers...literally, and metaphorically speaking. He just takes time to notice the simple deliciousness of life.

Thanks, Ry...and Grams, for helping me notice.

Note to self: plant a lilac tree next spring, in honor of the two.

Jakey Nuggies

Jake is the funniest of birds; he has such a way with words. The following are just a few of our favoritest quotes from the last couple of weeks:

While riding Mia's scooter through a couple inches of January snow: "Look, I'm dashing through the snow!"

"Sometimes going poo-poo is a really good idea."

"Josie bit my boomdie!"

"Look, Mom, my finger has a name. I call him 'Tomato Suprise.'"

While being carried out of the primary room (by request of the primary president), Jake screams at me, "I WILL be reverent, Mom!!!!!"

Over the River & Through the Woods...

To Grandmothers house we go! Marni, Jenny, Vicki, Mindy, Lindsey & I partied at Grandma Winkels house last weekend. Grandma taught us how to make pies, rolls, and we made a quilt for Amy's baby. We read old letters from Grandpa to Grandma, listened to oodles of Grandma stories, and ate Grammies good food. The girls and I hit the outlets, Cafe Rio & the Goodwill. Can life get any better? Oh, and we got to go SANS kids! It was the best of times.

Tastes like Chicken

Soooo, seems like we've finally found our way into the wonderful world of blogging. Never would have happened had it been just up to me, but thanks to Kat (the artistic designer behind the blog), we didn't even have to lift a finger to get it up and running. Thanks, Kat! You know me too well.

Last Saturday marked a day our little chickens will never forget. I refer to my little people; Thys, Mia, Jake & Josie, and not the ones living out in the coop (Delilah, Loretta, Fluffy & Speed Racer). However, I wouldn't be suprised if those girls (the hens) might also have this special memory blazened into their little pea-brains.

Several weeks back we realized we had landed ourselves a male amongst our hens, Ryans chicken he had named Pepe (like, Pepe le Pugh). Not a coincidence he gave him a more masculine name, I guess. In August, he started "warming up his vocalizer", and after several weeks there was no mistaken; his mighty crow drowned out any other little peep the other girls were making. With time (but not too much time) we decided his voice, in addition to his aggression towards Fluffy, couldn't be tolerated, so we started to look around for a second home for the guy. We advertised on Craigslist, Freecycle, local feed stores & nurseries, but didn't get any bites. On Saturday morning, we were desperate; Fluffy was either going to make her way to chicken heaven, or Pepe was going to be Sunday dinner. And so you see our dilemma. It was a painful decision (well, in lots of ways I guess), but in the end we had to do our homework on how to butcher a chicken. And thus, Pepe, became tonights dinner. Ryan was the unfortunate weilder of the axe, and I chipped in a sorry two cents by helping him skin the little beast. Thys stood by offering moral support, but not too close by. Jake and Mia came out mid-process to assess the situation. Ryan had already, um, decapitated him, and Jake was very curious:

Jake: "What are you guys doing?"
Us: "Well, Dad killed the rooster."
Jake: "Huh?"
Us: "Yeah, Dad killed the rooster."
Jake: "Why?"
Us: "Because he was being mean to your chicken."
Jake: "Oh. Where are his eyes? Why can't I see his eyes?"
Us: Lots of muffled laughter, trying not to let Jake see.
Us again: "Well, Dad cut off his head...that's how he died."
Jake: "Huh? I want to see."
Us: "Uh, Thys threw it into the woods."
Jake: "Mom, I want to hold you!!"

Hmmm. They seemed to handle it remarkably well. A-hem.

So in the end, Pepe became our barbequed dinner ("the secrets in the sauce"...name that movie) and I sat looking at him on the dinner plates of my family tonight with an unsettled tummy. Meanwhile, Mia declared, "I'll have a drumstick!", and Ryan dug in with his bare hands. Thys was game (hmmm), but Jake and I held back and opted for yoghurt and applesauce. All's I have to say is, I hope the luck of the draw doesn't deal us a rooster again. I guess if we ever HAD to butcher a chicken again, we'll know how. As I said, I don't know that all the little chickens 'round here will forget the day Pepe became Sunday dinner. And all's quiet in the chicken coop these days.