Summer Satisfaction

This part of summer kicks bootie. Oh, sure - the heat bites at times, but there are a few things I just love.

Late blooming flowers.




And, while I sure love a good pot of slow-cooked something that's been on the stove all day, I'm happy when we get light, summer fare - with veg from the garden. This week we had lemon pasta with shrimp. A crisp white (or at least I did). And arugula salad with heirloom tomatoes. Oh, hi summer - how ya doing?

And, most importantly, we have tomatoes that are finally starting to ripen in the garden. That makes us ALL happy.

Including the lead tomato picker, Stella A.

Show Me The Money

If you're a grown-up and you'd like to take a peek in Henry and Stella's room...beware.

This sign went up on their bedroom door today.

So, you know, a word to the wise... stop by the ATM before you stop by the house.

Henry says it's how he and Stella will make "good money" for toys.

Hmmmm. I'll figure out later if this is budding entrepeneurism vs. greed.

Right now I have to go find my purse.

Sun Of A Beach

With my new part-time profession comes a new Seward schedule (for at least three of the Sewards).

It looks like this:

Work, Work, Work: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Play, Play, Play: Tuesday, Thursday

This was a recent Thursday.



A sunny day at the beach in Seattle.

(You can't say that very often, btw.)

We played on the beach. And then the kids started a massive dam effort. And I don't mean "massive damn effort," I mean "massive DAM effort." If you see what I'm saying.

First it was just Henry and Stella (with Henry applying most of the architecture theory to the dam and Stella doing all the labor).

Stella thought they'd never get it to work.

She was obviously worried. And thoughtful about the endevour.

But then came reinforcements.

And everything worked out fine. The dam was built. Lunch was eaten. And resting on blankets was done.

It was a massive damn deal.

Folsom Prison

I hear the train a' comin.

It's rolling round the bend.

And I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when.


I'm stuck in Folsom Prison.

And time keeps draggin on.


But that train keeps a' rollin

On down to San Anton...

El Dragon

Henry's preschool class, The Sea Dragons, chooses a dragon of the week...well, you know, about once a week.

This week was Henry's turn.






His answer below confirms that he is, indeed, my child. No mix up at the hospital.

Sleeping is my favorite thing to do regardless of where I am.

We sure love a good dragon story.

Oh, Bonnie.

Why are your chocolate chip cookies so good?

With our new-found days together, the kids and I tried to re-create your magic (we used m&m's instead of choclate chips - a brilliant idea from the mind of Baker Henry).

And it made us happy.

And they came out cute.

But they just weren't the same.

Oh, Bonnie.

LUKE. I AM YOUR FATHER.

Disneyland.

If you would've asked a couple months ago what my top ten vacation destinations were, this place would not have been on that list.

But, as it turns out, five days in the kingdom does something to a girl.

And a boy.

And another girl.

And another boy.

As I may have mentioned before, the real kicker for us at DL (I was insider once, so that's the abbreviation I plan to go with from here on out), was jedi training.

It was everything a 5-year old boy (and 39-year old mother) could hope for.

The first day we went, we didn't get in because it was raining. But we got to meet the jedis and, well, those shepards of the darkside.

And then we came back a second time and didn't get picked to be a jedi.

And there was crying.

And then I remembered I've been in PR for 15 years and went back to the hotel and made a sign (you have to MARKET yourself, even to the dark side).

And then we got picked.

And then the fun began.

Henry got to stand right by the jedi master. And may have been slightly intimidated during the traning.



But then we learned that the jedi master moonlighted as a comedian. And things lightened up a bit.

But not for long! After training, interestingly enough, the jedi master sensed a disturbance in the force!



And it soon was Henry's turn to protect the force. Or use the force. Or something.


"You are no match for the darkside!"

But my boy said, "Bring it!"

Then he took his place among the padawans.

Who, together, drove the darkside right out of town.

And then came the best part of the whole thing for me.

This look.

As he got his official jedi certificate and walked across the stage.

It was right before he broke into a full sprint and jumped into my arms.

Freaking happiest place on earth indeed.