Street boarding

After a couple weeks of cold temps, the snow has mostly melted around the city, although our street is still pretty clogged and tricky to get up ... gotta stay in those tire tracks. Speaking of tracks, I have to mention some fresh ones I caught one night during the snowstorm.

Around midnight, I couldn't sleep and it was just dumping outside, at least 6 inches of fresh powder on the ground on top of the previous 4-5. Joi was in bed, and I told her, "I have to go snowboard down our hill right now or I'll just lay here thinking about it." So I got the boots on and trudged up the hill. It was a short ride, maybe a minute, but super fluffy snow, eerily quiet, and bright as day from all the streetlights and city glow bouncing off the snow. A man was out snowshoeing at the top of the hill and he said "I gotta see this" as I took off. I boarded all the way down to our house and made a big sweeping turn through our front gate and right to our front porch. That's a run I'll always remember. Joi went out the next morning and tried to do it, but sometime around 4-5 am, we got some freezing rain and it put a layer of crust on top. Her experience wasn't quite as pleasurable.

We got a few more runs (emphasis on few) on our trip to Mt. Hood for Christmas. We'll post some pics of that soon. Here's one of the front of our house right as we left to drive down to Oregon.

Snowy day!

Daddy's bus for work never came today and mommy's patients mostly canceled, so we got a chance to do some sledding this afternoon, after about 4 inches of snow. Max loved it, although he wasn't so fond of the cold spray in his face when we slowed down using our boots. But he had a good time making snowballs. There's more on the way this weekend! Looks like our Mt. Hood vacation will include some snowboarding after all.



We also went on the Santa Train in North Bend, and Max met Santa, got a nice wooden toy train and ate some red cookies and drank hot chocolate. Santa was "a little bit scary" as Max says when it came time to sit on his lap, but there's always next year!

Max sings "Old Macdonald"

This is a little old, as you can see from the Halloween candy. But Max sure loves to sing. Too bad the audio gets a bit out of sync when converting from avi to mpg.

Ta da!

What we'd really like from Santa is new countertops but for now this will have to do.

Other events of the weekend were going to winterfest at Seattle Center and my office Christmas Party at Il Fornaio.

We put ice skates on Max but he definitely did not like it. Hopefully we'll have better luck next year. He preferred to boogie down to the Garfield High School Jazz band instead.

The food at Il Fornaio was fabulous. We also had a famous diner at the table next to us. None other than Christine Gregoire! The Governor of our State. I'm sorry Charles had to miss out but it was scheduled right at Max's bedtime and we still haven't had anyone else put him down yet.


Rebecca and Louise



Dr. Fukuda and Toshi ....Why the flag? I'm not sure.

Greg and Marsha

Roamie and Tao

A lullaby to share

Sandi Dexter taught us this lullaby at coop and Max just loves it so much........ we sing it every night


Nina Nona, cocola della mama

Nina Nona, cocola dell pappa

Nina Nona cocola della mama

Nina Nona cocola dell pappa!

A nonsense lullaby from Italy

roughly translates

little one go to sleep for mama

little one go to sleep for pappa

I've learned of so many good songs and books from her I wanted to share her list of favorites because we listen to most of them. Next I'll post some books.

And I finished my curtain! I think it came out pretty well. I just need to download the picture. Here is the list she gave us of her favorite music

SANDI’S FAVORITE MUSIC!

Well, at least a selection!

________________________________________________________________________

BAKA Outback

A contemporary group who plays aboriginal instruments from Australia. Somewhat subtle, but the sounds are unusual to our ear and fun to offer to the children.

CARLOS VIVAS Classicos DeLa Provincia

Only one of many records by Carlos Vivas, this is lively music from South America and definitely works for when you need your toddler to stay awake – it’s NOT bedtime music!!

RAY LYNCH Deep Breakfast/No Blue Thing

Synthesized music at it’s best (in my opinion). Mellow music for those times when you want to set that mood.

IZZY K. Facing Future

His real name is Israel Kamakawiwo’ole and he had a great tenor voice. This cd is a mix of traditional and contemporary music and you probably all love OVER THE RAINBOW! Great for those darks days of winter - turn this on and imagine yourself lying on a beach.

YO YO MA Hush

A collaboration with Bobby McFarrin and a superb piece of work. It’s great in small doses for those young ears. Would be fun to play selections for creative movement...get out those scarves and move and groove!

HOWS BAYOU New Melody Stomp

Like Zydego? This group (from Seattle) is so good. It’s great for creative movement, bouncing time or anytime!

SUZUKI CELLO/PIANO SCHOOL

Sounds crazy, but the simplicity of these cd’s is really appealing to children. The music is good and many of the tunes are very familiar.

UNGER/MASON Harvest Home

The sweet and gentle style of these musicians/vocalists is really calming. Their music is lovely and you will enjoy it as much as the children do!

TONY ELMAN Shakin’ Down the Acorns

This cd features the hammered dulcimer which offers a different sound for children. It’s bouncy and fun.

TISH HINOJASA Cada Nino/Every Child

She’s been around for a while, but I heard her on Prairie Home Companion. Her song about her Grandmother was so compelling, I looked her up on the PHC site and ordered the cd. You’ve heard it on a Friday at bubble time!

GATHER ROUND: Songs for kids and other folks (Pottery Barn Kids)

This compilation CD is tons of fun from the first cut by Sarah Mac to the last by an elder who brought traditional folk music to children; Ella Jenkins.

TOM HUNTER/Bev Bos/Michael Leeman: I have all the cd’s these great friends have done over the years. Among my favorites are:

I HAVE A BOX, WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU, COME ON OVER, and one I recently acquired; I’LL SING FOR YOU and HANDED DOWN (two cd’s in one!). You can order these from the Song Growing Company – along with many more. Buying cd’s from Song Growing will help keep the company alive and help the Hunter Family keep their farm!

Tom also recorded with Richard and Helen Scholtz, who did our sing-a-long in October: IN THE AIR and MANY A MILE. These cd’s are filled with lots of traditional songs, songs that are worth keeping alive.

Richard also recorded with others and a couple of wonderful instrumentals he did with fellow artists are: LATE NIGHT CONVERSATION and GENTLE BIRD. LATE NIGHT CONVERSATIONS is available on Song Growing and if anyone is interested in GENTLE BIRD (12 tunes played on the recorder, autoharp and hammered dulcimer), let me know and I will contact Richard.

TIS THE SEASON:

JOHN DENVER and The Muppets: One of the first cd’s of the season our family plays is this one – A CHRISTMAS TOGETHER. It brings back memories of when our now adult children were little and it’s fun to remember those wild and crazy holly days.

RAFFI’s CHRISTMAS ALBUM: One of his best, and some great holiday tunes.

WHEN THE SILENT NIGHT STARTS TO SING by Tom Hunter and friends: Many of these songs are originals, by Tom, and have become family favorites of not just my family – but our extended family across the country. While we may tire of hearing the same old familiar songs of the season, this cd offers a fresh take! You can order it from The Song Growing Company: www.tomhunter.com.

Texas, Texas

Charles, Judy, Aunt Ivy, Max and Paw-Paw


Max's first haircut!

Max and Grandma climb trees

Cowboy Max

Cute overalls

Sam Houston museum in Huntsville, TX

Max loved riding in this wagon


Blowin the leaves

Max is riding Mr. Pooh that Charles and John rode when they were youngins'




Max meets Granny!


Max did awesome on the plane ride there and back which was a big happy surprise for Charles and I.

We ate too much, caught up with family and enjoyed the warm weather down there. Max absolutely loved Paw-Paw's shop especially the leaf blower with which he blew leaves all over the yard and even blew our shoes clean.

At Grandma's house she showed Max how to climb trees. Good grandma! We spotted a few turtles in the bayou and checked out all the Christmas lights in the neighborhood.

I wanted his first haircut to be at children's salon but he needed one badly (in my opinion) so we found a place that would take us without an appointment and went for it. It started out good but went down hill about midway and ended with full on screaming and crying. Ohh well.....

Max's first day back at daycare after a whole week with mom and dad wasn't easy but by the second day he was back in the swing of it.

Of all the many, many things we love about Max right now my personal favorite is that he asks us for hugs and kisses. He doesn't just put his lips on your face anymore, now he puckers up and makes the sound affect as well. His kisses are big and wet and usually land smack on the lips. So sweet!

As for Charles and I we are trying to do some minor improvements to the house. I bought some fabric to make curtains for our kitchen windows. I might finish it this weekend and I'll post a picture.

I see onions coming up in our garden!