All of Summer in a Week

Given that we're at the "any time now" stage, we're packing in as much summer now as we can. It's such an add perspective, to be both childishly eager to meet the baby and grateful for these free, warm days of unscheduled time.

Our most constructive projects were these lovely little pillows. The girls gathered flowers and leaves around the yard and arranged them on one half of a spare piece of muslin fabric. We folded the fabric over and went crazy with a couple of hammers. The fabric ended up beautifully decorated with a unique floral pattern. Each girl helped sew up her pillow, stuff it, and proudly display it. It was the perfect backyard project.

 Then there was the end of year party, thrown by one of Maya's classmates. It doubled as a reunion with their teacher, and you would never have guessed they had only been apart for a week!

  Today we did some belly art. Then a walk in the park. And finally a visit to the local pool, just to round out the day. Much-needed naps are in the future.

Somehow we're cramming as much summer into every day as we can, because all too soon the clock will stop again as we celebrate the arrival of a new little one.

Aesop's Untold Fable: Man Versus Mouse

I'm still chuckling as I write this.... and it happened a week ago!

We (meaning Joe... of course... critters are his area of specialization) caught a mouse in the garage way back in March.  Better the garage than the house, of course, but EEEW.

Upon making the discovery, I immediately channeled my mother, explaining in near hysterics that "there is never just ONE mouse."

"MORE TRAPS," I demanded while scouring corners and closets for any signs of guests.

That was two months ago. Two months and probably five dollars worth of organic peanut butter, and even a little nutella when we ran out at one point, stolen from our cupboard to refill traps. You see, we learned some time ago that peanut butter is better bait than cheese.

The tricky little buggers kept stealing the peanut butter clean off the traps.

Every morning Joe would check the three traps in the garage. Every morning, they were empty. His frustration was palpable. Meanwhile I eyed our shrinking woodpile suspiciously and began having nightly fires in the fireplace.

Then, last week, Joe came home from work early so I could dash off for a check up. He checked the traps and what he saw still has us laughing. And perhaps groaning over a hard-fought battle that turned out so unnecessary.

A pile of ants was working vigorously to clear away all that peanut butter.

No wonder he never caught a mouse. And perhaps, just this once, there was simply ONE mouse to be caught. Now we're off to buy some ant traps instead. Good Grief!!

Last Chance to Vote

The baby poll is actually going to close tomorrow when the official results come out! The actual and official results, give or take a sonographic blur.

Also, here's a hilarious exchange with Maya:

 "Did you know that a lot of Americans have been falling down a long way. And they can't get up. And one of them even got pneumonia!" said a very distressed Maya.

"Were you learning about the miners in Chile?" asks mom, ever the public radio addict and still moved by the dramatic rescue last October.

"No. One of them was in his garage."

"Have you been watching commercials again?" Mom tries again, this time reminded of how deeply influenced Maya is by ALL commercials, whether they peddle plumbing equipment, cell phones, or the clapper.

"Yes. There is a necklace you can buy that brings help if you fall. We should get one."

What a news bulletin! People have fallen and they can't get up! And in this house of rather clumsy folk, perhaps a button isn't an odd request... :)

Posts I Might Have Written in November

Secrets are Fun: This is the longest Joe and I have ever gone without telling anyone such big news! The first person I told was a client at Meals on Wheels! That kind man didn't even know he would play a special role in my personal history. He just chuckled, congratulated me, and went back to his taxidermy museum (truly, he has turned his apartment into a museum of stuffed BEARS, LYNX, and even a WOLF. I couldn't bring myself to ask how he got the animals.

What's for Dinner? I have no idea. The slight nausea that barely qualifies as morning sickness has a side effect of its own. I cannot cook. Usually, I look forward to dinner all day. I gather elaborate recipes and stage Olympic level trips through the grocery store. I engage the girls in cooking. Not anymore. For three months, I've come up with nothing. One night, I literally baked a squash and a loaf of bread. Nothing else sounded good.

Pickles and Ice Cream! On a related note, I have now literally eaten pickles and ice cream for bedtime snacks. Yes, multiple times. Not in the same dish of course, but sequentially. A bit of ice cream... then a small pickle. I'm over it now, it sounds gross again, but for a small time that really hit the spot.

Hello in There: I'm not showing, except for a general aura of weight gain (let's call it a lovely glow), but to my surprise, I can already feel this little bundle thumping around. At 11 weeks, I thought it might be possible, late at night when the house was still. Now, a week and a half later, there is no mistaking those little flutters and pulses. I was nearly 19 weeks before i could feel Maya, and probably 16 with Elle. It's a strange delight to be so companionable with this one so early. Thanks to these secret conversations, this may be the best Christmas EVER!

Out on the Town

As a prelude to the big Christmas event, my whole family (all the adult members that is) gathered in Tulsa for a glamorous wedding weekend. This is truly the first time Joe and I, my two globe-trotting (well, one is more small western town trotting, but still) siblings, and my parents have had the leisure to hang out without my girls.

They were missed, of course. But as expected, the Halverson family, along with our southern cousins, know how to have a good time!

Halloween Laughs

I overheard the girls "playing" trick or treat in the playroom this morning (it has supplanted the previous "Meals on Wheels" game they enjoyed when we first began making deliveries.

I heard the knock on the door. Then Elliot's little voice, full of false timidity, asked "who's there?"

Then in unison, they sang the following song loudly before dissolving into giggles:

Trick or Treat
Smell my feet
Give me something good to eat.

I popped my head in at that point. "Very funny girls, but don't say that at anyone's real door. It's not polite. It sounds greedy." I stopped myself in my prim rant, thinking I'd better lighten up a little. It is a holiday solely based on costumes and candy, after all.

"But mo-om," Maya protested, "Dad told us to. He taught us!"

Ah, the immortal influences of dad... and Bart Simpson.

Elementary Schools Have Fight Songs! Who Knew?

Mosquitoes Devour the Best Laid Plans

Have you ever seen mosquitoes swarm on a three-year-old? It isn't pretty, even when it isn't your own kid!

We brought friends along to Tamarack Nature Center last week, with high hopes to make Richard Louv proud. After months of listening to me brag up the infinite merits of the Wild Place, essentially a city-bound fort-builder's dream, our friends were fully prepared for woodsy enrichment: sneakers, bugspray, snacks....

 Determined to instill heightened powers of observation in our kids, I even packed a nature scavenger hunt. There were some clues simple enough for the Littles, some tricky enough for the Bigs, and prizes (harvested from the playroom) for one and all.

On a gorgeous August day, 85 degrees hot but with a cool breeze promising autumn's return, we started tramping through the woods. Mushrooms were discovered, log bridges were teetered across, and at least one lion's lair was assembled.

Then the bingo cards came out, and the Bigs lead us deeper into the woods. Where the mosquitoes were ready to pounce.

My girls seemed mildly annoyed. Everyone did. Annoyed, but not quite over run. Everyone except Elliot's buddy, whose glasses somehow attracted the entire swarm. Mosquitoes lined his eyebrows. Welts began to appear immediately in multiple places at once.

And the poor guy was terrified, understandably.

Suddenly we were all racing down the path, resting in the sunlit patches that warded off the beastly bugs, and dashing through the ominous, buzzing shade.

A few of us straggled onward, committed to finishing the scavenger hunt and catching ourselves some wildlife.

We shared tales of our nearly caught frog and run-away inchworm when we met the rest of our crew back at the nature center. Meanwhile, tthey had uncovered a wealth of indoor toys available for the overly-edible hiker.

A memorable outing, certainly, but an unfortunate boon for the folks that make calamine lotion!

The Tea Party Crew

We've waited all summer to have a tea party. Finally, on one lazy Tuesday, it all came together. Tiny cupcakes, lemonade in the toy tea pot, doily place mats, and of course, high fashion costumes. It's such fun to have good neighbors!

A Zoo Story

Over at Doing Good Together I wrote about our decision to sponsor an animal at Como Zoo. It's a relatively small financial commitment that may give the girls more of a connection with one of the animals and a reason to learn more about that animal, both at our zoo and in the wild.

Well, here is the rest of the story. For about an hour, Maya led us around the zoo trying to decide which animal most needed our help. Then, unable to make such an important choice, she opted for Como Town instead. We don't do the rides often, but this weekend, we did them all!

Photo Friday: Kindred Spirits at Dairy Queen

When ordering, be sure to specify "Kid's" cone, rather than "small" for 2-year-olds. Ten minutes after this, these two were tearing through the park like tiny incredible hulks!

Our Winter Grand Canyon Trek: The Inner Gorge

Here is the third post offering you a virtual Grand Canyon experience: Pre-Canyon Jitters, The Astonishing Descent, The Inner Gorge, and The Empowering Ascent.

Between the physical fatigue of hiking and the rushing creek, our first night at the base of the campground was the best sleep either of us has had in years. Admittedly, that might have as much to do with the lack of children in our tent.

We were lucky enough to reserve a place for breakfast at Phantom Ranch, so the day began with a feast of eggs, pancakes, and bacon served with plenty of happy-camper cheer.


Both Joe and I awoke to severe pain in our calf muscles and the arches of our feet. I had an impressive bruise along my back from where my pack rested, and both of us had a few blisters. So we doped up on Ibuprofen and shuffled along the paths along Bright Angel Creek while our muscles warmed up... and, eventually, they did.

We found ourselves suddenly launched into spring, and we relished the time to appreciate it. The trees were just beginning to leaf out. The delightful smell of the river, of wet dirt and growing things, seemed almost like an old memory, something long forgotten over the winter.

As wilderness enthusiasts accustomed to the unique offerings of the Boundary Waters, a few things stood out about the Bright Angel Campground:

• Coffee was available in paper cups for your early morning hike! Since we didn't bring a stove, it was a nice treat, along with the massive dinner and breakfasts at the ranch.
• Flush toilets, sinks, and a separate designated sink for dish washing were available, in stark contrast to the, um, thrones in the BWCAW.
• People, People, People. On a typical Boundary Waters trip, you run into others here and there for a brief passing along the trail. The close quarters of the Bright Angel Campground lent a real summer camp feel to the entire weekend. Most of our fellow campers chatted with us several times along the descent, even more around the campsite, and we saw at least one couple in the restaurant celebrating after the climb.
  

It was a little difficult to reconcile the busy atmosphere with the concept of a solitary wilderness experience, so we avoided the flood of people trekking the 12 mile loop trip to a nearby waterfall (sure, sure, we didn't hike that because of the crowds... 12 miles otherwise sounded totally reasonable for our day of rest.)

Instead, we hiked a couple of miles up the Clear Creek Trail to a spectacular overlook point.

This trail was much more rugged than the South Kaibab. Loose rock and steeply graded inclines made us wish for the hiking poles we left back at camp.

It was a short hike though, climbing us nearly 1,000 feet back out of the inner gorge. That is another reason we chose this trail. When you're in gorge, around Bright Angel Campground, you can only see the . I wanted the panorama of the canyon again, even if it meant more inclined hiking.


The view was definitely worth it. We rested there, writing and gazing, for a long time.




After a luxurious afternoon nap back at the tent, we set out for some more hiking. We explored the black and silver bridges via the 1.5 mile River Loop trail.

Who knew rock formations could be so fascinating.

Especially when you add the right signage.

"Rockfall, No Stopping" ?! We walked fast there!

Unfortunately, we encountered little wild life. We shared the trails with those famous mules (and smiled with no small amount of pride as they carried less ambitious tourists past us). We shared the grassy places along the river with exceedingly tame mule deer.

And we unintentionally shared some peanut butter and jelly with the South Rim squirrels, who have become gladiators thanks to the many visitors they get each year.

One actually jumped off my pack and ran up my arm. Yup. That was not my favorite trip highlight. Joe found it to be the funniest moment, though.

We had one last breakfast at Phantom Ranch to look forward to, and unfortunately it was scheduled for 5:30 AM. While we settled in for an early bedtime, one question kept circling through our conversation.

It was a question several different fellow campers asked us.

How did you train for the hike out?

Gulp. Train? I did the stair-master a couple of times. And the elliptical machine for a half hour here and there. Never with a pack or boots. Can a lot of yoga (for me) and a lot of basketball (for Joe) count?

Others had hiked hilly or even mountainous trails near their homes, carrying fully stocked packs for at least four hours each weekend for a month or more. They climbed bleachers. They walked backward on inclined treadmills!

And they were mostly hiking out in two days.

Here we were, facing a day of hiking 9 miles up hill with no way to predict how well it would go. Of course, to fall asleep, I came up with a back up plan. If the going was too difficult, we would simply become squatters at Indian Gardens (half way up) and change our flight to Tuesday. With a plan in place, sleep came... eventually.

Photo Friday: If at First You Don't Succeed

If at first you don't succeed with your snowshoe construction project....


and if those snow shoes sink right through the exceedingly powdery snow, frustrating the patient snow shoe makers, and creating only a pile of soggy cardboard and non-sticky duct tape....


Then have a dance party instead!

Photo Friday: Always Be Prepared

To protect your feet in the event of a great (and self-induced) flood.



Or to rescue a kitten from the sleeve of Mom's jacket.