Fushigi News

Speedy Beans

2012-01-28T06:44:00.001+09:00

Joel, in the car today: "I'm ready to stop having a regular car. I'm ready to have a race car with a big spoiler on the back. Then we can go fast and zoom around all these other cars!"

Random Beanie Quotes

2012-01-28T02:19:00.003+09:00

Matthew: "Mom, you're almost as big as me!"

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While reading The Complete Adventures of Big Dog and Little Dog, as Big Dog and Little Dog were about to get some dog food poured into their bowls from their owner...

Matthew: "Hey, that's just like me and Joel--we're always hungry even before snack time!"

Joel: "Yeah, we want to eat all the time."

Snow Art

2012-01-24T14:32:00.006+09:00

Got the idea to make some pipe cleaner trees from Pure and Noble, via Small Notebook, and we added some "snow", too...

We made snowmen, too...

Last Friday: Starting To Melt

2012-01-24T14:28:00.002+09:00

Last Thursday Snow Pics

2012-01-24T14:21:00.003+09:00

Feet Talk

2012-01-24T03:51:00.003+09:00

Out of the blue this morning as Joel was putting on his socks...

Joel: "I can't wait to wear sandals in the summer!"

Matthew: "Yeah, and I love hot sand on my feet at the beach!"

Well, the snow has JUST melted so we do have a little bit to go before all this transpires but it's lovely that they're thinking of it already.

Snow Scenes from Wednesday

2012-01-21T15:23:00.004+09:00

Wednesday it started really coming down, continued falling Thursday (yesterday), and today (Friday), the snowing has abated and the warmer rains have started to melt everything away, though it's going slowly.

So here are Wednesday's pictures for you...

More to come!

Snow and Quotes

2012-01-18T13:03:00.006+09:00

Matthew: "I wish I could take a ride on an asteroid in outer space!"

Abigail: "You know, an asteroid is like a big rock."

Matthew: "Or a big potato!" [And he laughed uproariously.]

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Abigail: "Joel, your pajamas are light blue, or you can also call them sky blue."

Joel, looking at my dark blue jeans: "Hey, Mama, your trousers are dark sky blue!"

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And speaking of dark skies, apparently we're going to get the biggest snow in this generation--and all tonight. It wouldn't be a big deal in the Midwest, but Seattle just doesn't seem geared up for this sort of thing; we've stocked up on food, candles, batteries for the flashlights, and firewood for the fireplace in the living room in case (we hope not!) the electricity goes out.

Had a blast today throwing snowballs at each other and Stephen even managed to hit Joel (apparently unintentionally, while aiming at his tummy) right in the forehead on his hat (oops!).

Here are the beanies yesterday, the last day before we took the tree and decorations down this morning (well, we just had our Christmas dinner!). Now we've got the lights on our mantel and TV stand instead and it's so lovely to have twinkly white comfort hanging around in our living room, even though the holidays are technically over. It's Winter Fest in the Munday household.

Space Shuttle

2012-01-16T10:31:00.002+09:00

A little snow'll do ya...

2012-01-16T07:28:00.002+09:00

On our walk to church this morning!

Christmas Dinner and Crackers

2012-01-15T13:10:00.006+09:00

After the beans had stomach viruses at Christmas and New Year's, we had to postpone our Christmas dinner three times, but last night it finally worked out! We had some special friends here (and our friends' lovely grandma, too, who was visiting from out of state).

It was a fun time with good food and the beans got to try Christmas crackers for the first time ever (hence the crowns). For our American contingency, crackers are a UK holiday tradition--they're cardboard tubes filled with crowns and toys and wrapped up in shiny cellophane paper. It takes two people to pull them apart and then the treats inside come out--then everyone turns into royalty.

Happy Christmas in January!

(Now I suppose the decorations must come down, but the white icicle lights outside on our porch railing are staying put for now.)

Seattle Sunset

2012-01-15T12:59:00.003+09:00

These photos from the other night don't do the sunset justice--it's the best one we've seen here yet...

Snow Day!

2012-01-15T04:30:00.003+09:00

"Snow makes me sneeze!" - Matthew

Tightwad Repurposing

2012-01-14T05:38:00.000+09:00

I'm pretty sure I got this idea from The Tightwad Gazette: Use an old baby gate as a sweater drying rack.

Fusion Beans

2012-01-14T03:21:00.002+09:00

At their request, the beans are having a midmorning snack of shrimp wasabi crackers + almond butter.

I just can't fathom it but it's true--I'm seeing it with my own two orbs. Just don't let my taste buds know about it or they might freak out.

Golden Gardens Beach and Shilshole Bay Marina

2012-01-13T14:45:00.006+09:00

Haiku for Greenwood Market

2012-01-12T02:18:00.004+09:00

Kids' carts, bulk bins, bread,
Walkability, staff smiles,
Market's closing soon

Weight-Training Beans

2012-01-11T13:20:00.004+09:00

What do two beans eat the week after they've had stomach viruses and lost loads of weight?

Here's today's account (or as much as I can remember, anyway)...

Breakie:

cashew butter and jam toast
fried eggs
green smoothie
fruit juice

Snack:

animal crackers and water (at MOPS)

Lunch:

meatballs
macaroni and "cheese"
nori (dried seaweed)
multiple bowls of cereal

Snack:

bananas

Dinner:

salmon burgers
edamame
meatballs
garlic mashed potatoes
nori
hummus
green smoothie
rice milk
bananas
hot cocoa

I kid you not.

I'm sure there was more, but that's plenty for now.

Comfy and Cozy

2012-01-10T02:14:00.001+09:00

Joel, this morning as he snuggled with me: "Mama, I found out that you're the comfiest of all."

Planetaribeans

2012-01-05T03:32:00.002+09:00

Well, Matthew has had his first (and I hope only!) hospital stay, he is back home again, and the beans are at their usual antics.

Only this time, they're out of this world: The boys are renaming our furniture with new planet names--the flowered chair is Nepkorn and one of the wooden side tables is Tookoo.

Christmas Videos

2012-01-02T11:23:00.002+09:00

Amazingly, despite kiddo illnesses that have really messed with our Christmas / New Year experience this year, we have some videos to share with you.

The first is from one of our trips to Candy Cane Lane. If you tuned in last year, you will know that this is a famous local in Seattle that has a row of beautiful houses that really go all out with the Christmas decorations. They range from the very classy to the very cheesy, but I always appreciate the theme of peace that runs through them.

This next video shows M-bean and J-bean singing Away in a Manger (US tune) in church. Matthew is easiest to spot, being right in the middle of the frame, but you will need to look more carefully for Joel on the left in the gray sweater / grey jumper.

They did a great job. And I know that M-bean really likes being up on stage and is not fazed by it at all as he helped me very well with the reading on Christmas Day.

We are hoping that at some point soon all of us will be well so we can have our Christmas Dinner with friends. It's been postponed 3 times now, so the upshot is that we will be having two Christmases in 2012 -- an early one in January followed by a traditional one in December.

Beanie Bedtime

2011-12-28T14:34:00.001+09:00

Christmas Beans

2011-12-27T14:21:00.004+09:00

Timely presents...

Princely beans building a castle...

Joel on the floor, snoozing, at 5:45 PM...

Hallelujah Chorus and Nativity

2011-12-26T12:20:00.001+09:00

Two wonderful videos we've seen in church recently:

New Zealand Kids' Nativity

Hallelujah Chorus, Quinhagak, Alaska

Beany Quotes

2011-12-26T07:58:00.005+09:00

Matthew said something to Joel in the car yesterday evening about 5:30 PM. Can't remember exactly what it was, but it was OK, not anything nasty.

Joel: "No, don't talk to me right now."

Matthew: "Why not?"

Joel: "Because I'm still waking up." [He woke up at 7 am and didn't take a nap, so this was a bit of a stretch.]

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Yesterday afternoon Matthew and I went to a Christmas Eve candlelight service at a nearby church where we go on Tuesdays for MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). The pastor got up and prayed at one point, and Matthew asked, in a rather loud talk-whisper, "Why is he going 'Yack yack yack'?" And then during the sermon, Matthew reiterated his concern that there was too much talk, "There he is again going 'Yack yack yack'!" [I was a wee bit embarrassed but also had to hold back some giggles.]

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And here's an Abigail-Bean quote: "May 2012 be full of laughter for you!"

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T06:45:00.002+09:00

Christmas party at Green Bean Coffeehouse, several weeks ago...

Cenerentola

2011-12-23T14:33:00.005+09:00

Recently (lucky me!) I won two free tickets (through Seattle's Child) to Cenerentola: The Italian Cinderella Story at the Northwest Puppet Center.

The Carter Family Marionettes performed the Venetian Cinderella story that they translated from a centuries-old document, with a few modern phrases thrown in for comedic value. We all loved it and Matthew especially laughed hysterically at some points.

We weren't allowed to use flash photography during the performance, but the Carters came out after the show and let the kids have a gander at the puppets. It was unbelievable that only two puppeteers put on such a complicated show.

The building itself was worth a visit even without a show going on (we loved the displays of antique puppets in the lobby), but we will definitely be back for future performances...

Santa Hats - Never Leave Home Without Them

2011-12-22T14:30:00.004+09:00

Carkeek Park this afternoon...

Overheard

2011-12-16T07:13:00.003+09:00

While the beans were watching Microcosmos this afternoon:

"Car tracks! Car tracks, dung beetle! Oh, no, he's gonna probably get run over by a car!"
[While snails were mating] "Mama, look! They're fighting! That's NOT fun."
[After seeing a spider snare a cricket, wrap it up, and suck it dry] "That cricket looks sad, as sad as poo."
[Watching hornets and their larvae in a nest] "Are larvae good for you?"

Where's my Chair?

2011-12-15T13:36:00.002+09:00

I wish I could remember more details of this story, as it seemed even funnier at the time. But anyway, here goes:

Yesterday, Joel and Matthew were borrowing chairs from the kitchen to make little "houses" to play in in their play room.

Abigail and I were sitting at the kitchen table when Joel suddenly zoomed in at speed (as he does) -- and then suddenly disappeared from view. We found him looking confused but unhurt on the floor.

My initial thought was perhaps he had tripped over. But Joel disabused me of that notion: He told me that he had forgotten he had moved his chair and that it was no longer there.

It was hard not to laugh....

Reading Beans

2011-12-11T03:18:00.002+09:00

If you've got an early reader in your house, I'd love to suggest a series that is going down very well here: You Read to Me, I'll Read to You, by Mary Ann Hoberman.

Each book in the series is divided into paragraphs, each one offset and in a different color, so that the child knows when it's the parent's turn to read and when it's his.

Clever confidence builders.

McKellen Changes a Tire (Tyre)

2011-12-11T02:35:00.002+09:00

Just a laugh for your Saturday: Sir Ian McKellen acts out how to change a tire (tyre) - Shakespeare style!

Microbeansmos

2011-12-09T06:24:00.003+09:00

We recently picked out a superb DVD at the library called "Microcosmos", a Swiss nature film that shows flowers and insects up close and personal.

In the opening scene, the viewer is flying in clouds amidst beautiful music, but suddenly you start diving, down, down, down so far that you enter the world of grass. What you see there takes your breath away: ladybugs eating aphids, ants drinking the sweet aphid juice, a spider eating a shrimp inside of an air bubble underwater, flowers budding, bees sucking the nectar out and flying back to home-hive.

Spectacular.

And the beans are riveted. (As is their mother.)

Pike Place Market Bingo

2011-12-06T15:00:00.007+09:00

Matthew's been asking me for ages to go back to Pike Place Market, a farmers' market in downtown Seattle that's one of the oldest in the States. I was hesitant to return there because last time was so crowded and the beans did not enjoy it.

Anyway, I geared up and made some bingo cards (on cardboard paper that had one white side) for the trip, and brought stickers for the beans to cover each square as they found those objects or people.

"The Fancy Pigs", as Matthew called them...

This fishmonger is the one where they throw fish back and forth to each other, and today we made friends with one of the guys named Eric. Every time we walked in front of their stall, Eric would yell, "BINGO!"

These piggy banks are great--every cent dropped in goes directly to low-income families in the area...

Back home with cards full...

Oh, and I forgot to mention that it wasn't crowded at all today. We had a lovely time together!

Healthy Candy

2011-12-06T01:25:00.002+09:00

This morning, Matthew showed me a Lego truck he was driving with Lego cargo in the back.

Matthew: "Mom, I want to show you what I'm delivering: It's healthy candy! It's over 200 years old, much older than you, and it's from the 1800s!"

Abigail: "Oh, what does healthy candy have in it?"

Matthew: "Well, it has no high fructose corn syrup, no salt, and no chemicals."

Abigail: "OK, what does it have in it?"

Matthew: "It has lots of ingredients: cheese, pepperoni, red vinegar, and chocolate. All those things. We've run out of them in the factory today."

Car Wars

2011-12-02T11:39:00.002+09:00

As we were driving our friends Dan and Amy to the airport last week, with Amy in the back wedged between the beans, one child who shall remain nameless (but who is younger than the other one) got carsick all over himself and our poor friend.

Later, after dropping our friends off to catch their flight, I laughed silently in the front as Matthew and Joel were gabbing in the back...

J: "I got carsick!"

M: "Yeah, poor Joel, you got carsick all over the place. I think it's because of our PT Cruiser. We need a Toyota. If we had a Toyota, you wouldn't get carsick."

Bothell Country Village

2011-11-26T14:34:00.013+09:00

Bothell Country Village - what a fun place...

The Village Bean cafe has a great section for kids, and we loved the simple, clever magnetic pipes for arranging and rearranging and for dropping balls through...

And no place is complete without a pirate ship...

Minstrel Beans

2011-11-26T14:30:00.003+09:00

Back at Soundbridge...

Today's Quotes

2011-11-26T12:14:00.002+09:00

Joel, at the end of the day: "My knees are wobbly because I was too fascinated today."

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Matthew: "Ballard is just CRAZY! I get so excited about Ballard--it's one of my favorites." [Ballard is the neighborhood/community next to ours to the west.]

Shaun Bean

2011-11-23T01:02:00.003+09:00

As Joel woke up this morning, the first words out of his mouth were "Shaun the Sheep!"

I can't blame him, really--the show is fantastic.

M-Bean Quotes

2011-11-21T13:12:00.002+09:00

Matthew: "Mom, I want to get you a really special present for Christmas."

Abigail: "What is it?"

Matthew: "The Polar Express!"

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Matthew to a little girl in a cafe: "Which country are you from?"

Girl, emphatically: "I live at home!"

Reading and Chewing Gum

2011-11-14T13:28:00.004+09:00

One of the great things about foreign films (other than the fact that, well, they're great) is that they force you to refrain from multitasking while you're watching and reading the screen.

You might just have to put your feet up and have a bite (or several) of chocolate.

And that ain't bad.

(One of our favorites lately was "Vitus".)

Spacey

2011-11-14T12:47:00.002+09:00

We love this time-lapse video of some gorgeous views from the space station as it travels around the globe. Way cool! The beans (and parent-beans) especially enjoyed the lightning and the aurora borealis.

Beany Indeedy

2011-11-14T12:44:00.002+09:00

Abigail, to Matthew and Joel this morning when they were both wearing cute stripey sweaters: "You guys look really handsome."

Matthew: "Indeed!"

All Fall Down

2011-11-13T13:31:00.004+09:00

Remember this black walnut tree from our neighbor's backyard that I posted about the other day?

And here it is now...

And the neighbor's feisty cat on the roof of his garage, next to said black walnut tree...

Sous Bean

2011-11-13T13:24:00.002+09:00

Where did my baby go? I look at this photo of Joel and think how big he's gotten recently.

Anyway, he and his big bro have always liked helping out in the kitchen, and here J-Bean is with his Green Eggs and Ham Speedy Diner Game hat. (The boys love that game.)

Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.

2011-11-12T13:02:00.002+09:00

Did you hear about Steve Jobs's final words before he passed on? He was looking over his family's shoulders, into the beyond...

Wordy Bean

2011-11-10T13:22:00.005+09:00

Joel, when we were reading a tractor book together and I asked him what "sowing" was, pointed to my shirt, and with a gleam in his eye and a deliberateness belying his mere three years, said, "Sowing your clothes!"

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Joel not only likes plays on words, but he's coming into his own in rhyming as well. Tonight: "We're the best kind of Sneetch on the beach, and we don't need to brush our teeth!" (Almost, but very cute.)

Monsieur Saguette

2011-11-07T14:31:00.004+09:00

Matthew's and Joel's newest favorite book, Monsieur Saguette and His Baguette, starts out like this:

One Sunday afternoon Monsieur Saguette made himself a pot of hot carrot soup.

'Ah, soup and bread,' he said, smacking his lips. 'My favorite!'

Well, as it turns out, the Beans's favorite combo is also soup and bread, so that's exactly what we had for lunchies today: carrot soup and a baguette--in honor of M. Saguette!

Swanson's Koi and Trains

2011-11-07T14:15:00.005+09:00

It's been a very busy weekend and certain beans have been waking up WAY early for the past few weeks, and waking up in the night, so to keep them (and ourselves) awake this afternoon, we hung out at our favorite nursery, Swanson's.

We kept the koi company (above) and also the holiday train (below) in the holiday greenhouse. Such beautiful Christmas items for sale, and the trains were a delight--I have a feeling we'll be back there a lot between now and the end of December, especially as they are going to have a couple of reindeer, a camel, and a donkey on site.

Pack and Potatoes

2011-11-07T13:13:00.002+09:00

Matthew, out of the blue today: "When I grow up I'm going to have a dog and I'm going to name him Pack."

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Matthew, when Stephen asked him if he liked the mashed potatoes that Stephen had made for dinner: "Mmmmm, good. But I think I'd like them with a bay leaf for a little more flavor." [The potatoes were really yummy, by the way, and nice and garlicky, just the way I like 'em.]

Ham or Edamame?

2011-11-06T14:08:00.003+09:00

Candlebeans

2011-11-06T14:02:00.004+09:00

Our new tradition for dinnertime every night--the beans love it! And it's so cozy.

Moments - Today

2011-11-01T14:06:00.004+09:00

Most hilarious moment: At Woodland Park Zoo, with my beans, watching the Northern tree shrews. The tree shrews literally do crazy back flips from branch to branch, causing hilarity to ensue.

Most frustrating moment: Going to the GP for Joel's persistent cough, getting medicine for it, and now listening through the monitor to him coughing continuously in his sleep. Poor bean.

Sweetest moments: Kisses and hugs from my beans, and hearing Matthew happily screech as he looked out the window this evening and saw the moon.

Remembering Rei

2011-10-27T23:53:00.002+09:00

Matthew, out of the blue at breakfast this morning: "I LOVE Rei-chan and I miss her so much! But she lives so far away. Let's visit Japan and go see her, and I will be so, so, so, so, so happy!"

Falling in Seattle

2011-10-27T13:51:00.003+09:00

The black walnut tree behind our house...I can see it out the kitchen window and I must admit I do a bit of daydreaming there! So much scope for the imagination...a burst of molten gold...

Beanies

2011-10-27T13:39:00.004+09:00

Matthew figured out that if he put his silly straw in my dishwater and blew into it, the bubbles would groooooooooooooow....

Not only does Joel like to see his name, but he enjoys writing it as well...

One of the latest crazes around here: rubber-band propelled planes!

I Think I'm Turning Seattleite

2011-10-27T12:19:00.002+09:00

You know you live in Seattle when you drive by a Taco Bell sign that says "Open Late" and you read it as "Open Latte."

Anpanman Walks and Drinks Coffee

2011-10-27T02:15:00.003+09:00

Joel, this morning while putting on his Anpanman socks: "Anpanman went on a walk. Anpanman went to a coffee shop!"

Beantalk

2011-10-27T01:35:00.003+09:00

Matthew, last night as we were putting him to bed: "I'm gurpy!"

Stephen: "What does that mean?"

Matthew: "I'm hiccuping and burping at the same time."

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Joel, this morning while pointing to his name on a piece of paper: "Hey, Mom: J-O-E-L. That's an important word!"

The Beans' Tree and a Leaf Quiz

2011-10-19T12:40:00.004+09:00

We've been leaf hunting quite a bit lately and made a tree today with some of our finds. Click on the image to enlarge it enough to see the numbers, and leave us a comment with as many as you can identify.

Beanstorm

2011-10-19T11:55:00.001+09:00

Matthew, tonight as he was going to bed: "Mom, I feel something...something tickling me."

Abigail: "What is it?"

Matthew: "I think it's a brainstorm."

Current Events

2011-10-17T12:53:00.003+09:00

Recently read: Imaginary Friends by Nora Ephron (I love anything and everything by Nora, and this one is especially clever - would enjoy seeing this on stage)

Recently watched: "The Pixar Story" (extremely interesting - did you know CG images are made up of millions of triangles?)

Currently reading: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Currently watching: "Konkombe" (documentary of Nigerian pop music), "An Officer and a Gentleman" (wanted to watch this one again now that we know more about the NW landscapes)

Soon-to-be reading: The Best American Poetry 2011, Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

Soon-to-be watching: "Top Gear", if Stephen has anything to do with it (and actually, I quite enjoy it myself!)

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-16T12:14:00.008+09:00

Fun day today at Thomasson Family Farm in Enumclaw, Washington...

It's so great having college friends Bonnie and Gabe in the area...

How It's Made

2011-10-14T08:18:00.002+09:00

Well, we were sad about the demise of "Word World" on Netflix streaming, but have just discovered "How It's Made" and we're set.

So far this week, we've learned how toilets, beer, bread, acrylic bathtubs, toothpicks, paper, jeans, and computers are made.

And that's just the beginning...

The Real "F" Word

2011-10-14T01:46:00.004+09:00

Famine.

Did you know that 30,000 children have died of hunger in the last 3 months in just the Horn of Africa???

Watch this video created by Bono and friends and then go to ONE.org to find out more.

Giants in the Land

2011-10-14T01:45:00.000+09:00

Matthew, to Stephen this morning: "I want to be a giant like you!"

Soundbridge, Our New Love

2011-10-12T13:13:00.010+09:00

It literally gives me goosebumps to write this post because I honestly have never seen Matthew and Joel so completely focused and so intensely joyful for such an extended period of time. We visited Soundbridge, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra's discovery center for kids, a couple of Saturdays ago.

They have a drum circle every Saturday...

And it was rockin'! The parents had a lot of fun, too.

And Soundbridge is not full of just drums--they have a bazillion instruments that kids can play and learn...

We were there for hours!

You betcha we're going back and getting annual passes as well! The only reason we left last time was because they were closing, and they actually kept it open a bit longer for our enthusiastic beans...

Wordy Beans

2011-10-12T12:50:00.006+09:00

I never taught Matthew to write "God" but one day, he just decided that that's what he wanted to write, and he did it all by himself...

We leave messages for the beans to read, in the form of magnetic alphabet letters (this one's to read, not necessarily to do!)...

Cookie sheets are good for magnetizing...

And Joel likes to add "s" to words to make them plural--one of his favorites is making "Joel" plural!

Stickers by Number

2011-10-12T12:47:00.004+09:00

A fun little project from the beans's great-aunt in Australia...

You just coordinate the color of sticker with the number and stick them on to make a picture...

Chocolate and Hair Nets

2011-10-09T13:11:00.005+09:00

Even when we lived in Japan, I had been looking up activities/amenities in Seattle and I had found out about Theo Chocolate and their tour. It's the only organic and fair-trade chocolate maker in the States and I knew I wanted to find out more. I asked a few ladies in a moms' group I'm in if they were interested, and it spiraled from there...chocolate...out of control...this morning...tons of samples...history...called Theo because of the theobromine in chocolate...the cacao grows on the trunk of trees, not branches...chocolate is fermented...and Theo makes it all worth while.

My favorite was the burnt sugar ganache...but I didn't turn my nose down at the chili chocolate with hints of orange and cinnamon...or the cacao nibs...or the coconut curry chocolate (YUM!)...or the chai tea chocolate...and the beat goes on...

I had a feeling I knew some beans who would be interested in playing with a hair net and also tasting some chocolate...

I love these kids.

2011-10-08T14:00:00.000+09:00

Birthday Girl

2011-10-08T13:24:00.003+09:00

I recommend having a birthday, and here are my top five reasons:

5. All the lovely birthday cards cover up the dust on the mantel.
4. The beans insist on the traditional birthday banner being hung in the kitchen.
3. Little guys talk about it for weeks beforehand and are still discussing it, asking why the birthday banner hasn't been taken down since Monday. I've been trying to emphasize that birthdays should last for a whole week...or even a month.
2. You get to pick the restaurant...and it's Greek to me (the keftedes, meatballs made with beef, lamb, mint, cinnamon, and tomatoes, were amazing as were the lemony roasted potatoes).
1. I've got superb folks to hang out with on such a special day, and always.

Café Culture

2011-10-05T09:48:00.002+09:00

Joel, in the car today, and out of the blue: "The French sometimes call 'ketchup', 'café ketchup'."

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And in other food news, tonight at dinner Matthew said, "Mom, you can make onigiri for me in the middle of the night. I looooooooooooooooove onigiri!"

We Miss You, Mimi and Pop!

2011-10-03T05:10:00.000+09:00

Snoqualmie Falls and North Bend with Mimi and Pop

2011-10-03T04:51:00.012+09:00

Museum of Flight

2011-10-03T04:41:00.005+09:00

We spent most of the time in the kids' area: flying hot air balloons...

airplanes...

and helicopters...

It's a great hands-on space with lots of educational activities. Oh, and it's fun, too!

Back home, Matthew showed Pop his favorite airplanes in one of his favorite flight books.

Safely Extinct

2011-10-02T23:41:00.004+09:00

Matthew: "Let's order some dinosaurs from Amazon!"

[I don't think he's quite getting the term "extinct."]

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Matthew: "Bush fires are dangerous."

Abigail: "Yeah, some people have to evacuate. Do you know what that means?"

Matthew: "No."

Abigail: "It means if the bush fire gets close to people's homes, they have to leave and go somewhere safe."

Matthew: "Like OUTER SPACE! There aren't any bush fires in space. It's safe!"

[Truer words were never spoken.]

The Space Needle

2011-10-02T09:59:00.014+09:00

I'm so glad we waited 1.5 years to thread the Needle. We got to experience it with Mimi, and I know all the neighborhoods and landmarks now. (Pop wasn't feeling well that day and stayed home to rest.)

Reflection on the wall of the Experience Music Project...

The elevator ride up was FAST!

Lake Union, where so many seaplanes take off and land...

The Puget Sound (Elliott Bay)...

Elliott Bay and a ferry going to either Bainbridge or Bremerton...

Downtown Seattle and Elliott Bay...

Looking up through a sculpture at the base of the Needle...

And...spending time with that sculpture...

Uh-Oh World

2011-10-02T08:50:00.002+09:00

Word World, as of this morning, is no longer on Netflix streaming.

We are NOT in Happy World.

Going on Vacation

2011-09-26T10:28:00.002+09:00

Tonight we got the Beans clean and pajama-ed earlier than usual so we could go for a drive to the beach and watch the sunset.

As Matthew was putting on his nighttime apparel, he said, "Wait! We can't wear our pajamas to go on vacation!"

Mimi and Pop Have Landed...

2011-09-19T12:12:00.004+09:00

The beans have been counting down for over a month, waiting for Mimi and Pop's visit on September 16. They've been telling everybody we meet about it!

Our first full day with them was a ferry trip to Vashon Island, including Vashon Farmers Market...

Our favorite tea shop, plus the Point Robinson Lighthouse and cabins...

Ferry-ing!

Huggy Bean

2011-09-16T23:14:00.001+09:00

This morning at brekkie:

Matthew: "Mom, Dad, Joel. You need to all give me BIG hugs!"

Our Favorite Beans

2011-09-16T13:41:00.005+09:00

Matthew and Joel are doing wonderfully with reading and spelling. Joel wants to do everything Matthew does and the Younger Bean is even spelling words like "bed" with no hesitation. Superb.

A few days ago Matthew read his first book cover to cover. It's a great series we've got at our local library and each book tells its own story--Matthew is just tearing through these. He loves reading and is so proud of himself, gaining more and more confidence with each book.

Of course it's not all academics around here...

Matthew rocks out and plays the guitar on his polar puppy...

Dinner Conversation

2011-09-15T14:04:00.002+09:00

Went on a walk this evening and when I returned, Stephen told me about a conversation he had with Matthew while I was gone:

Matthew, feeling the bones in his toes: "I've got meatballs in my toes!"

Stephen: "What do you mean?"

Matthew: "My dinner went down the wrong way!"

[And the zucchini fritters we had for dinner didn't even resemble meatballs--we were on a meatball kick for a while but it's been several weeks now since we've had them.]

Manner Beans

2011-09-14T11:26:00.001+09:00

Abigail: "You boys are so polite!"

Joel: "Thank you."

Girl Talk

2011-09-14T09:10:00.004+09:00

A few (highly unusual) phrases heard round our house today:

"Where can I take a nap?"
"Don't you love the color of my hair?"
"Isn't my water bottle cute with all those flowers on it?"
"Do you like my jean jacket? Don't you think it's pretty?"
"Boys, don't hit me with your stuffed animals. I already combed my hair today."

Yes, you guessed it! We had a little girl-bean here all day and it was definitely a different atmosphere.

A very cute and flowery atmosphere.

Confession Time

2011-09-14T09:09:00.001+09:00

After I thanked the boys for helping clean up, Matthew said, "I'm a professional!"

And Joel piped up with "I'm a confessional!"

Surprise! Happy Birthday Kikue!

2011-09-14T03:59:00.003+09:00

A little bird told us that your birthday was coming up and that you like to look at our blog. So, "Happy birthday" from all of us in Seattle.

Natural Beauty

2011-09-13T14:07:00.004+09:00

Lovely dahlias from a lovely neighbor...

Sunset shots on Labor Day from our friends' home...the Olympic Mountains have some wildfires going crazy over there and the views are now even hazier...

Two Car Shows in Two Weeks

2011-09-13T13:53:00.007+09:00

Labor Day car show hosted by the Ballard Elks, standing next to Matthew's favorite car (which was also at the Greenwood Car Show in June!)...

Edmonds Car Show yesterday...

Growing Up

2011-09-08T00:39:00.002+09:00

Matthew, in the car after a guy at the grocery store helped us out to the car: "Wow, he had a lot of hair on his arms, too." [He meant "like Daddy".]

Abigail: "Well, when you grow up you'll have hair on your arms, too."

Matthew: "Yeah, and we'll shed our skin, too."

Have we been learning too much about reptiles lately?

Four Beans in a Park

2011-09-07T13:37:00.009+09:00

Volunteer Park and the Seattle Asian Art Museum...

Cheeky

2011-09-03T11:21:00.002+09:00

Joel, holding his cheek this afternoon: "My cheek feels strange."

Abigail: "Oh. Why?"

Joel: "It's missing some food."

So he had a big snack, then dinner, then seconds and thirds of this amazing stuff. Plus a few cups of green smoothie and now they'll have their traditional organic applesauce before bed.

And they say teenagers eat a lot. Apparently you have to keep their cheeks filled even at the tender age of three.

Sprinkling the Beans

2011-09-02T12:57:00.006+09:00

I couldn't decide which one I liked best, so forgive me, but I've posted all of them...

Beans in the Mist

2011-08-31T12:07:00.004+09:00

OK, it was actually sunny at Woodland Park Zoo when we were there a couple of weekends ago (yes, I'm behind on blogging!)...

Localized

2011-08-30T22:57:00.002+09:00

Inspired by my college friend, Megan, I bought my first Groupon-style coupon. (But through Amazon Local.)

I've been getting the deals via email for months but hadn't found anything that I really thought our budget could handle (some things on offer have been expensive gourmet cooking classes, pricey garden tours, wine tastings, etc.). And some things I just plain wouldn't have ever wanted in an entire lifetime (think liposuction).

But yesterday's Amazon Local was $10 for $20 worth of items at a local coffee shop (Holy Grounds). We can use it for a year, spread over multiple visits, and it's conveniently located near where we grocery shop and pharmacy shop, not to mention Value Village shop, so it'll be easy to pop in, get the beans a pastry treat, and maybe possibly a coffee for moi.

But don't worry, Green Bean! You are still our first love.

Looking Forward

2011-08-26T11:58:00.004+09:00

I'm reveling in every second of every summer day here in Seattle--the air is cool in the shade, it's breezy, the UV is strong, clothes dry quickly on the line outside, cloudless skies are the deepest blue you've ever seen, and the average temp in the middle of the day is probably about 80 F.

Washington peaches are ripe. Cherries are sweet. We're outside every day--playing, eating, reading, walking, running, chasing, sand-digging.

Perfecto.

And here I am at 8 pm, sitting on the grass in the backyard, feeling the leftover heat in the ground, kiddiewinks in bed, netbook in lap, listening to the occasional airplane overhead and the water feature in our next door neighbor's backyard, breathing in fresh herb-scented air, feeling cool at 67 F. Having an Oregon bright ale called Summer Squeeze (by Bridgeport), infused with lemongrass and yuzu.

I have to add another perfecto at this juncture.

The only niggling thing right here and right now is the fact that it's already gray-dusky. At 8 pm. And at the summer solstice it was still tinged with far-off light when we hit the hay at 10:30.

So it's got me thinking: Maybe summer is not eternal. Durn.

Maybe fall and winter are coming after all. My parents will be visiting next month and I always tend to feel a bit blue after guests leave. Not only that, but Seattle winters don't have a very bright image. (Contrary to what I heard when I arrived, though, yes, there actually are some sunny days in fall and winter here!)

Anyway, I've come up with a growing list of people/things/events to look forward to when I'm not feeling sunshiney, and here they are, in no particular order:

Candy Cane Lane at Christmastime
College friends moving next month from Arizona to 1.5 hours from us in the Mt. Rainier area (yea!)
Baking with the beans
Hot chocolate (this year with rice milk or almond milk instead of the cow variety)
Storytimes at our local coffee shop and the library
Ferry rides to Vashon Island for tea and soup
A tofu factory tour
A chocolate factory tour
MOPS starting up again in October
Making some new place mats
A Christmas train
Cuddling up with a book and a blankie on the sofa in the evenings
Crockpot beef stew and other warming savouries
Trips to the library
Open gym times
Generra coffee (hints of orange) from Diva Espresso

It's officially dark now and even though it's way before 10:30, I'm ready for bed. (Not quite ready for winter, though, I have to say.)

Oyasumi!

Money Matters

2011-08-26T11:56:00.003+09:00

Matthew: "God drops money out of the sky. He drops it into a big machine. I've seen one of those money machines at QFC."

Joel: "Let's take Mama and Daddy's wallets to Florida so we can have lots of money to spend."

#3 Tooth

2011-08-24T10:45:00.005+09:00

Bottom tooth came out a month ago, first top tooth a few days ago, and we knew it was just a matter of minutes till second top tooth said sayonara.

Matthew brought it downstairs in his hand after he woke up this morning.

Everybody's been asking if the tooth fairy has visited, but let me tell you, this child needs no incentive whatsoever for getting rid of more teeth--he enjoys pulling them out too much.

Anyway, it sure makes flossing and brushing quicker.