“Would you PLEASE stop SQUEAKING!?”

The morning - the VERY morning that Sam spotted a mouse in our bathroom, look what popped up on my Russian language learning app?

The morning – the VERY morning that Sam spotted a mouse in our bathroom, look what popped up on my Russian language learning app?

I had to study the snap traps a bit to get them rigged up just right. I was fiddling with one on the counter and sprang it with a fork to test it. It FLEW three feet into the air and the boys’ eyes were WIDE! Even Mr. Sam, who by now is 11, and knows ALL. Then it was time to add bait. I messed up – EPIC fail – and ended up with cheese in my hair. This was also amusing to some fans…but eventually got it all set…

I went to the hardware store with Ben later in the day and might have been squeaking a little ("SQUEAK! SQUEEAAK!") as we walked around looking for mouse traps. Finally found some - got glue and regular snap ones. Ready for battle!

I went to the hardware store with Ben later in the day and might have been squeaking a little (“SQUEAK! SQUEEAAK!”) as we walked around looking for mouse traps. Finally found some – got glue and regular snap ones. Ready for battle!

We also bought a TWIX bar and laid a boy trap. Look who we caught? A BIG one!

We also bought a TWIX bar and laid a boy trap. Look who we caught? A BIG one!

Happy 11th, Sam!

Eleven years sounds like a very long time. It’s more than a decade. Sam celebrated 11 years with us on Wednesday by having many of his hockey buddies over for fried chicken, pizza, cake, video games, shooting out in the garage, and a sleepover. We sure had fun! Here are a couple pictures, but more is in the album.

Here we are, decorating Sam's cake :) The boys each wrote something.

Here we are, decorating Sam’s cake πŸ™‚ The boys each wrote something.

Happy Birthday!!!!!

Happy Birthday!!!!!

Some of the boys - four of them - saw this big tent in its bag in the garage and begged to camp out in it! What was I to do? I really couldn't deny eager boys an adventure, could I? We set it up in the dark, in the rain, mopped up the floor, and had cake then went out to sleep through a pretty heavy downpour all night. The tent held up, and so did we - had a great time. Even had a urinal in the tent because the rain was so heavy. Check out the album for more photos...

Some of the boys – four of them – saw this big tent in its bag in the garage and begged to camp out in it! What was I to do? I really couldn’t deny eager boys an adventure, could I? We set it up in the dark, in the rain, mopped up the floor, and had cake then went out to sleep through a pretty heavy downpour all night. The tent held up, and so did we – had a great time. Even had a urinal in the tent because the rain was so heavy. Check out the album for more photos…

Shooting in the garage the next day while I tidy up the house and wash a dozen towels :)

Shooting in the garage the next day while I tidy up the house and wash a dozen towels πŸ™‚

Is it Sunday already?

Wow – what a weekend! I’m totally wiped, but had a lot of fun getting to that point. Here’s a roundup, using pictures, because they will hopefully do the job!

Halfway through a 6 mile run down to Lynwood to meet up with Dave and the  boys for breakfast. I love those breakfast sandwiches, and love them even more when I've earned one :)

Halfway through a 6 mile run down to Lynwood to meet up with Dave and the boys for breakfast. I love those breakfast sandwiches, and love them even more when I’ve earned one πŸ™‚

I found this saws-all blade on the road and picked it up to save a tired. Never found a trash can along the way so ran with it like this. Quickly found cars gave me a very wide berth!

I found this saws-all blade on the road and picked it up to save a tire. Never found a trash can along the way so ran with it like this. Quickly found cars gave me a very wide berth!

Now we're in Tacoma for an exhibition game with Coach Chris' son's team. It's a Squirt rep team, so a level up from us.

Now we’re in Tacoma for an exhibition game with Coach Chris’ son’s team. It’s a Squirt rep team, so a level up from us.

We got crushed, BUT - we  one of the coaches played O'Callahan from the movie Miracle! Lisa was so stunned! Mike is a very humble and nice guy.

We got crushed, BUT – one of the coaches played O’Callahan from the movie Miracle! Lisa was so stunned! Mike is a very humble and nice guy.

THEN we headed to Poulsbo for dinner with some families from the team (an hour north) and took two boys (cousins) home for a sleepover since they can't come on Wed when the rest of the guys do. I had NO idea what I was in for. OMG. They had a blast, and so did the boys. It was wild, though. Here they are admiring Sam's cube collection. They also enjoyed shooting in the garage to see how fast they are on the radar gun, soccer (me as goalie), basketball, tucking chickens in (wish kids did that!) and more...oh...knee hockey before bed. It took hours to wind them down.

THEN we headed to Poulsbo for dinner with some families from the team (an hour north) and took two boys (cousins) home for a sleepover since they can’t come on Wed when the rest of the guys do. I had NO idea what I was in for. OMG. They had a blast, and so did the boys. It was wild, though. Here they are admiring Sam’s cube collection. They also enjoyed shooting in the garage to see how fast they are on the radar gun, soccer (me as goalie), basketball, tucking chickens in (wish kids did that!) and more…oh…knee hockey before bed. It took hours to wind them down.

Breakfast before their game. Thanks to Dave, we all ate well! Thank you, honey!

Breakfast before their game. Thanks to Dave, we all ate well! Thank you, honey!

So - Sam had a game, which they won 2:1 (just barely - tough game!). Then we did open skate while waiting around for Ben's Mites practice. I spent 3 hours on the ice (I help corral kids and pucks), Sam 4 hours. Here he is tying Ben's skates. I was so tired by this time that I lost my keys 3 separate times. I finally told another mom where they were! I felt nearly drunk with tiredness, but just kept moving or I would have keeled over! Lots of fun, though.

So – Sam had a game, which they won 2:1 (just barely – tough game!). Then we did open skate while waiting around for Ben’s Mites practice. I spent 3 hours on the ice (I help corral kids and pucks), Sam 4 hours. Here he is tying Ben’s skates. I was so tired by this time that I lost my keys 3 separate times. I finally told another mom where they were! I felt nearly drunk with tiredness, but just kept moving or I would have keeled over! Lots of fun, though.

And THEN...home for Burns Night which my friend Ben McCafferty and I had FIRMLY in our books. Not to miss! I dashed home via Safeway to buy flour, sugar, and biscuits to roll haggis up in. We raced home, Sam made shortbread (I didn't know Dave had already gotten some in the oven) and ordered pizza, gathered wood for a fire and started to get it going just as Ben and crew arrived. Ben didn't want to wait for me to nurse along wet wood so took matters into his own hands. He makes me look TAME, doesn't he? I'm glad to have friends like this for perspective ;)

And THEN…home for Burns Night which my friend Ben McCafferty and I had FIRMLY in our books. Not to miss! I dashed home via Safeway to buy flour, sugar, and biscuits to roll haggis up in. We raced home, Sam made shortbread (I didn’t know Dave had already gotten some in the oven) and ordered pizza, gathered wood for a fire and started to get it going just as Ben and crew arrived. Ben didn’t want to wait for me to nurse along wet wood so took matters into his own hands. He makes me look TAME, doesn’t he? I’m glad to have friends like this for perspective πŸ˜‰

Pond hockey…of a different sort!

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The kids are making sweaty hair into Batman horns πŸ™‚

The Zamboni was down today and practice was cancelled. Bummer! What to do? Roller hockey, of course! We invited hardy souls who didn’t mind the cold and rain to come join us at the school where there is a nice covered area with cement flooring. Down side? The soccer club had already arrived and was not interested in cooperating on a sharing arrangement. He eventually allowed us to use some of the space while the team warmed up, but then we had to move on to a covered walkway, and a spot outside the cafeteria – walled with glass and surveilled by a video camera. Not ideal conditions for passing a hockey puck! But, we persisted – the kids had a lot of fun anyway, and the conditions were so ridiculous it was funny. I recorded a few video greetings for the hockey director and coach – they’re not having much fun with a sick Zamboni and kids bummed to miss practice. The soccer coach finally relented and left 15 min early, so after 90 min of waiting, we got a chance to play hockey for about 45 min. We ended up coming home about the same time we would have come home from Bremerton, which is normally about 4 hours out of the house. I was tucking the kids in bed and couldn’t figure out why Ben smelled sour. So I thought. I’d just done sheets, and he’d just showered. I had Dave sniff him all over and he didn’t smell anything. I kept sniffing around and finally figured out it was MY HANDS! What the crap? Was it my wild yeast starter? I did bake bread today. (Yes – the yeasts are alive again! Check out the picture of the bread – they are now revived after months of neglect. I had to build the colony back up slowly with many many feedings. I’m so excited to see they’re working again!) OK – want to know what the smell was? Can you guess? Hockey-related. I was playing with the boys, which means I had…GLOVES on. The hockey stink persisted despite washing my hands AND cleaning up after dinner. Unreal! Enjoy these clips!

My bread!!!!

My bread!!!!

 

We all had a great time!

We all had a great time!

After our game - very sweaty despite it being cold out.

After our game – very sweaty despite it being cold out.

Time to brush teeth boys.

I’m trying to learn Russian, and now that I have a very good (FREE) app to help with Cyrillic, I’m making headway. I was able to say a few phrases in Russian, but without knowing the letters I just couldn’t get much further than repeating conversational phrases. (It WAS fun to find a pair of Russian parents in Winthrop over break and speak to them, though! Dave was like: “Leave it to you to find the only Russians in the valley.”) So tonight I was practicing writing the letters I’ve learned on Google translate. If you use the drawing pad, you can test your accuracy. From there I moved on to speaking Russian. It was time for the boys to brush their teeth, so why not learn something practical? Here’s what it looks like:

Google translate - I spoke in Russian and finally got it correct enough to translate what I meant to say! You would not believe the outtakes, though!

Google translate – I spoke in Russian and finally got it correct enough to translate what I Β meant to say! You would not believe the outtakes, though! I was LAUGHING out loud. Then I had the boys and Dave try. Dave thought it sounded like I was asking for a cheese stick. (Sounds like “vremya chestit’ zuby malchikov”.) In the outtakes below, I’m hitting the microphone and trying to pronounce the words correctly. If I don’t get it right, funny translations appear above.Screenshot_2016-01-17-21-08-44Screenshot_2016-01-17-21-08-56 Screenshot_2016-01-17-21-09-36

 

Friday Ben’s Mites team played during the Warriors’ intermission. It was fun for him, but 3 hours of transit to play 5 minutes on the ice? He REALLY wanted more skating time, but managed to score a goal from all the way at the other side of the ice.

Sam and I made pies yesterday to take to our friends' home for a dinner gathering (which was wonderful). He made one with red apples and a sugary sauce which was actually pretty good, and I made one with green apples (double crust). Came out respectably enough.

Sam and I made pies yesterday to take to our friends’ home for a dinner gathering (which was wonderful). He made one with red apples and a sugary sauce which was actually pretty good, and I made one with green apples (double crust). Came out respectably enough.

This is a coprolite - fossilized worm feces from a lake bed in Seattle. I brought this up at dinner with friends last night and just had to display it because it's so odd, and unless you come visit my artifacts shelf in our foyer, you'd never have the distinct privilege of seeing fossil worm feces.

This is a coprolite – fossilized worm feces from a lake bed in Seattle. I brought this up at dinner with friends last night and just had to display it because it’s so odd, and unless you come visit my artifacts shelf in our foyer, you’d never have the distinct privilege of seeing fossil worm feces.

Hogmanay

Family photos get more fun every year!

See? Props for adults this time!

See? Props for adults this time!

Happy 14th Anniversary, to us! Dave's face is priceless.

Happy 14th Anniversary, to us! Dave’s face is priceless.

And because I like to keep up on customs and traditions…I checked out Scottish Hogmanay traditions on Wikipedia. That infallible source of the people. Β The entry had me at chicken wire and flammable materials. Dave and I went for a bike ride down to a brewery on the island (this is a sort of broken tradition dating back to before kids, when we had time to go on a 30 mile bike ride then stop for a sampler). Now that it’s relatively safe to bike here (Hawaii – not so much), I decided to reinstate the tradition for our anniversary. Needless to say, I was pretty buzzed biking back uphill after a few samplers! We took it slow and got home in time for me to undertake this adventure. See bottom of post for the video.

On our way to the brewery

On our way to the brewery

bar top selfie. Hubby a little shy about selfies in a brewery. Can't imagine why.

bar top selfie. Hubby a little shy about selfies in a brewery. Can’t imagine why.

I wrote this in the bathroom. He never saw it! (Obvious reason...men face a different direction than women when using the privy.)

I wrote this in the bathroom. He never saw it! (Obvious reason…men face a different direction than women when using the privy.)

Mommy, is dorkus a nice word?

It’s been a very busy weekend with Thanksgiving then a hockey tournament (replete with days’ long bake sale fundraiser). And just for fun, on Friday night Sam and I were horsing around (you know where this is going) with whipped cream and pumpkin pie. This is a family holiday tradition going back several generations. My mom’s dad apparently had a mischievous streak:Β “honey, I think the whipped cream has gone off a bit? Could you check?” My grandmother took a little sniff, then BAM! a swift bop and her nose was full of the fluff! This continued on with the children…each older child in turn would stifle a laugh as the next in line would be inducted into the whipped cream hall of fame. I didn’t really remember this when I went for it on Friday night…the moment just seemed to be there. Sam was swiping whipped cream with his fingers and stuffing it into his mouth, so I grabbed a handful and helped him stuff his mouth a bit – it got messy quick! He grabbed the can, tried to spray me, I escaped with a little in my hair. Then I asked Sam: “Hey, Sam! Can you still SMELL the pumpkin under all that whipped cream?” He bent over to smell…and yes, I plunged his nose right into the white fluff. (Buttercream frosting leaves better nostril marks.) He took off chasing me around the house with a handful in retribution and when I got cornered I turned around helplessly and saw him smiling in pursuit! That’s when I noticed…a THIRD OF HIS TOOTH WAS MISSING!!! He’d chipped a front tooth on the plate! OMG!!! OMG! This is reeeaaallly BAD! So, my hockey player had a badly chipped tooth, but not from hockey, or any LEGIT sport as the teenagers at the rink were quick to point out. It was from HIS MOTHER shoving his FACE into PIE! Freak accident, yes, funny now, yes, but I felt (and still do) horribly about it. We have the most incredible dentist, though, who was willing to come in yesterday to assess him and fix him up today. Here’s a shot of the progress. You can’t tell now. 20151130_144258 Today I got bucked off for the first time in two years of resuming riding. So – an epic day for me as well. I should have known better than to grit through a sense of Emmy not being in a cooperative mindset. Riders call it “behind the leg” – not accepting direction. It’s a decidedly unsettling feeling when a horse isn’t moving forward under you. The etiology of all bad things horse-related is riding a mount who is not in front of the leg. I should have jumped off and lunged to reassert my proper place in her horse hierarchy, but I’ve worked through such rides before. Today I was really relaxed – maybe because I have a lot on my mind (work, sick kids, school stuff, visiting family, etc.) and had survived hockey, so I wasn’t really ON mentally myself. You have to actually be a bit edgy to ride well – very much in tune to your environment and the beast. A bit wired. I wasn’t today. I was relaxed, which, oddly, enabled me to fall well. I saw it coming – a buck on the canter depart which threw me forward, then I couldn’t recover fast enough for the next one and saw myself sailing toward a wall. Hit my head (that’s what helmets are for) and landed on my back. Within a few minutes I was back on after my instructor, Janet, had a conversation with Emmy. In describing this to Dave tonight, he said that could be courageous or stupid. I replied that Roosevelt (my current historical interest) would have gotten right back on. Dave replied “Yes, because that was his mode of transportation and he still had 1,500 miles to cover.” πŸ˜‰

Emmy plotting my demise.

Emmy plotting my demise.

Back to the post title. I was packing up kids into the truck yesterday after the tournament was over and the younger sister of our goalie was asking her mom this question. She’d just heard Sam call me that πŸ™‚ I’m sorry for the influence of my crazy children! Oh – wait – I should apologize for MY influence on THEM I guess! Hope you had a sane holiday!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving :)

Trying to get a Thanksgiving hug from Sam - it's a full contact sport!

Trying to get a Thanksgiving hug from Sam – it’s a full contact sport!

All of the November pictures have now been annotated and uploaded to the ALBUM. Videos of hockey games, hockey practice, stick and puck, Emmy (the awesome Irish Sport Horse I borrow to ride), and…is there anything else? Soccer games…oh yeah, that. The wet, cold, soccer games! Oh, and me cooking a few actual meals that start with raw ingredients. That were edible. And people ate them. I think even liked them. A shopping trip to beat all…just days in the life. I got rear-ended for the second time in my life (I’ve never caused an accident or gotten a ticket but after starting the hockey commute last year, I’ve been rear-ended twice!). The bike rack on the back of the truck really puts in an extra layer of defense, but is not well liked by the Lexus which met it up close. Poor car. Enjoy the photos and drop me a line to let me know how you are. Tamara… πŸ™‚ Liisa? How the heck are ya?

Shopping for all the fixin's with Sam and Ben the day before Thanksgiving, after giving them frozen yogurt for lunch, AND allowing them to each have a cart. Maybe not a good idea, but they were model boys! No one got hurt, no one got admonished, and they found the things they were sent after. We DID come home with enough to make FOUR pies, but that's ok. We'll get to that. I make a decent crust and it's fun to do over the weekend. (Between hockey games? Huh...) On the way out of the store we raced shopping carts down the parking lot. There's a nice slope for coasting. Yes, I was safe. :) Turns out you can steer with your feet!

Shopping for all the fixin’s with Sam and Ben the day before Thanksgiving, after giving them frozen yogurt for lunch, AND allowing them to each have a cart. Maybe not a good idea, but they were model boys! No one got hurt, no one got admonished, and they found the things they were sent after, even in a crowded store. The parking lot was packed, the store was packed, but I honestly have not had a more pleasant time with them! We DID come home with enough to make FOUR pies, but that’s ok. We’ll get to that. I make a decent crust and it’s fun to do over the weekend. (Between hockey games? Huh…) On the way out of the store we raced shopping carts down the parking lot. There’s a nice slope for coasting. Yes, I was safe. πŸ™‚ Turns out you can steer with your feet!

Mom and Richard arrive to find the mess left behind by the storm the night before (which knocked out power).

Mom and Richard arrive to find the mess left behind by the storm the night before (which knocked out power).

All cleaned up and burning away! Cheaper than hauling it ;) Plus, you know I like fire. It was hard to get me to come in for turkey...

All cleaned up and burning away! Cheaper than hauling it πŸ˜‰ Plus, you know I like fire. It was hard to get me to come in for turkey…

Catching up

How long has it been since my last update? I think a couple weeks since we went up Mt. Zion…the boys and I… So, it’s time to post a few updates!

An impromptu Wed fire, hockey shootout, s'mores before dinner, and pizza supplied by the fabulous Larry, Eli's stepdad. Thank you, Larry!

An impromptu Wed fire, hockey shootout, s’mores before dinner, and pizza supplied by the fabulous Larry, Eli’s stepdad. Thank you, Larry!

The weather has been really really cold, windy and wet this fall. Soccer has never been this much fun since I played in NJ! Still, the kids are all smiles and Ben continues to enjoy his time with the team. They are playing well together and winning some games, to boot.

The weather has been really really cold, windy and wet this fall. Soccer has never been this much fun since I played in NJ! Still, the kids are all smiles and Ben continues to enjoy his time with the team. They are playing well together and winning some games, to boot.

Sam is leading dry land (warm-up before the game). Earlier in the day he was doing dry land in the bleachers while Ben was playing in a wet soccer game. This prompted me to see if the coaches wanted him to run dry land while they put together lines for the game. It seemed to work out well. Sam enjoyed it.

Sam is leading dry land (warm-up before the game). Earlier in the day he was doing dry land in the bleachers while Ben was playing in a wet soccer game. This prompted me to see if the coaches wanted him to run dry land while they put together lines for the game. It seemed to work out well. Sam enjoyed it.

Wheat continues to learn how to integrate into this flock. She is very timid, still, requiring feeding by hand and constant vigilance to be sure she weathers the stormy weather ok. She finds hiding places where she can hunker down and stay out of the general chicken milieu. She's learning to tolerate Calvin's amorous advances. She's an intelligent and sensitive little bird. I'm happy to see this through as long as it takes.

Wheat continues to learn how to integrate into this flock. She is very timid, still, requiring feeding by hand and constant vigilance to be sure she weathers the stormy weather ok. She finds hiding places where she can hunker down and stay out of the general chicken milieu. She’s learning to tolerate Calvin’s amorous advances. She’s an intelligent and sensitive little bird. I’m happy to see this through as long as it takes.

Ben leaving after a game. His bag is as big as he is!

Ben leaving after a game. His bag is as big as he is!

Taking 4 hockey boys to stick and puck, then open skate, on Veteran's Day. My bag is in there as well. 5 hockey bags...that's as much as this truck can hold without putting the roof carrier on! What a funny time that was at the rink. Look for a link to "figure skating."

Taking 4 hockey boys to stick and puck, then open skate, on Veteran’s Day. My bag is in there as well. 5 hockey bags…that’s as much as this truck can hold without putting the roof carrier on! What a funny time that was at the rink. Look for a link to “figure skating.”

Here is the FIGURE SKATING VIDEO!

This was pizza time between skating sessions. I think there were 9 boys. That is Dee in the back (purple jacket) taking pictures as well.

This was pizza time between skating sessions. I think there were 9 boys. That is Dee in the back (purple jacket) taking pictures as well.

Sam has wanted a snake for a long time. I find myself in a spot where I need to consider: Xbox? Or Snake? Apparently the name "Bob" would be bestowed upon the 4'-5' boa he hopes to bring home. Santa??? Thoughts? It's only $60. Ha! And LIVE feeder rats! I can see it now - stopping on the way home from the rink for a feeder rat, then to Taco Del Mar, for feeder burritos. Geez...just when I thought my life couldn't get more interesting.

Sam has wanted a snake for a long time. I find myself in a spot where I need to consider: Xbox? Or Snake? Apparently the name “Bob” would be bestowed upon the 4′-5′ boa he hopes to bring home. Santa??? Thoughts? It’s only $60. Ha! And LIVE feeder rats! I can see it now – stopping on the way home from the rink for a feeder rat, then to Taco Del Mar, for feeder burritos. Geez…just when I thought my life couldn’t get more interesting.

I've learned Morse Code! Every morning the boys give me a word to spell out in code, then I check my accuracy. This has been a dream for some time - 5-10 years. And at last, I've learned!

I’ve learned Morse Code! Every morning the boys give me a word to spell out in code, then I check my accuracy. This has been a dream for some time – 5-10 years. And at last, I’ve learned!

A "happy Ben" picture after a great hockey game! This is his buddy Sam (not brother Sam).

A “happy Ben” picture after a great hockey game! This is his buddy Sam (not brother Sam).

We stopped at the commissary on the way home. $397 worth in the truck. Ben was in charge of the $5 tip you give to the ladies who help you out. But where is it? Apparently he'd put it UNDER a bag thinking it would be fun if the little lady found it as she loaded the truck and wondered if it was for her. Sweet little treasure hunt...NOT! Sam and I shared this look of disbelief. It's one in a long string of looks we've given each other with Ben lately. Just earlier that day he was missing both hockey gloves AND a left elbow pad. Thankfully I was able to find old backup pairs for the game, and then Humpty Dumpty was put back together at the rink from the lost and found, and another boy's bag. Still...the missing items list has grown distressingly long in the last week or so. Time to turn the noggin on.

We stopped at the commissary on the way home. $397 worth in the truck. Ben was in charge of the $5 tip you give to the ladies who help you out. But where is it? Apparently he’d put it UNDER a bag thinking it would be fun if the little lady found it as she loaded the truck and wondered if it was for her. Sweet little treasure hunt…NOT! Sam and I shared this look of disbelief. It’s one in a long string of looks we’ve given each other with Ben lately. Just earlier that day he was missing both hockey gloves AND a left elbow pad. Thankfully I was able to find old backup pairs for the game, and then Humpty Dumpty was put back together at the rink from the lost and found, and another boy’s bag. Still…the missing items list has grown distressingly long in the last week or so. Time to turn the noggin on.

Mt Zion

We're taking a hike up Mt. Zion because there are NO SPORTS games today! Wow! So I cut the boys loose (only Ben was on board) and took off. We had a great time. This is me finding out, though, that Sam has decided to hike WITHOUT SOCKS in shoes WITHOUT SOLES (my fault - he needs new shoes) on a day with 30% chance of rain! It all worked out ok, but hopefully he'll make better choices. Oddly, I had a long conversation with Ben about proper shoe choice and Sam must have thought none of that applied. ;)

We’re taking a hike up Mt. Zion because there are NO SPORTS games today! Wow! So I cut the boys loose (only Ben was on board, Sam gripes before every hike “Mom, you’re SUCH a hiking DORK!”) and took off. We had a great time. This is me finding out, though, that Sam has decided to hike WITHOUT SOCKS in shoes WITHOUT SOLES (my fault – he needs new shoes) on a day with 30% chance of rain! It all worked out ok, but hopefully he’ll make better choices. Oddly, I had a long conversation with Ben about proper shoe choice and Sam must have thought none of that applied. πŸ˜‰

More pictures and the full story in the album

We hiked past the summit to check out the ledges which offer great views to the Olympics. We were not disappointed. The spitting rain stopped for us to enjoy some time up there.

We hiked past the summit to check out the ledges which offer great views to the Olympics. We were not disappointed. The spitting rain stopped for us to enjoy some time up there.

Skittles and hot chocolate, what could be better?

Skittles and hot chocolate, what could be better?

I have a picture of this same ledge on Labor Day two years ago!

I have a picture of this same ledge on Labor Day two years ago!

Lunch in Quilcene followed by ice cream cones and basking in the sun. Wonderful :) Thanks, boys! More annotated photos in the album...

Lunch in Quilcene followed by ice cream cones and basking in the sun. Wonderful πŸ™‚ Thanks, boys! More annotated photos in the album…

"Ice cream cone of JUSTICE!"

“Ice cream cone of JUSTICE!”

Two years ago - Aug 2013.

Two years ago – Aug 2013.

Marmot Pass + Ben’s first ice hockey game

I can’t believe how busy the past couple weeks have been. I’m sorry for being so lame sharing photos and stories of what the kids are up to. Both are enjoying ice hockey very much, and soccer as well. Last weekend Ben was in a half-day soccer tournament and came off the field after 6 games saying “Can we do this next weekend?” He would enjoy a different sport every day I think. Sam is adjusting really well to 6th grade and getting into a groove managing his organizational skills and homework load. It’s definitely a team effort but he’s taking the lead more than ever and remembering if he’s taking the bus home or catching up with me at school to drive down to ice hockey. The days certainly fly by at this pace!

I’ve been working on coordinating math coach programs at two schools, recruiting and screening volunteers as a good match for the teachers. It is going well but entails quite a bit of communication with all concerned. I’m also starting a Coder Dojo club for after school computer programming with mentors. It’s a cool model conceivedΒ by an Irish teenager to get kids into coding, so I’m working on recruiting high schoolers in need of credit or service work hours to be a part of the program. Also working…and the work load is heavy right now.

Here’s a quick video of Ben in his first ice hockey game. It was very cute to see these young kids playing! The 1’17” video ends on a high note – stay tuned to see Ben’s hat trick (third shot) of his first game go in!

We're hiking up Marmot Pass - called the "champagne hike" of the Olympics, with our hockey buddies. No parents could go this time so it was just Dave and me on point. Ben was hard to stop - he got to Marmot Pass and kept on going up to Buckhorn! He's nuts.

We’re hiking up Marmot Pass – called the “champagne hike” of the Olympics, with our hockey buddies. No parents could go this time so it was just Dave and me on point. Ben was hard to stop – he got to Marmot Pass and kept on going up to Buckhorn! He’s nuts.

At Camp Mystery cooking up some chili in a new jet boil stove. Very cool! Oh - and Carver made me eat crickets!

At Camp Mystery cooking up some chili in a new jet boil stove. Very cool! Oh – and Carver made me eat crickets!

Almost there - 100 yards away now.

Almost there – 100 yards away now.

We made it! Look at these strong hockey boys!

We made it! Look at these strong hockey boys!

The summit of Marmot Pass - what a fantastic hike with everything you'd want in an Olympic excursion - river, craggy peaks, fall foliage just turning, and 12 miles to enjoy all that! (roundtrip)

The summit of Marmot Pass – what a fantastic hike with everything you’d want in an Olympic excursion – river, craggy peaks, fall foliage just turning, and 12 miles to enjoy all that! (roundtrip)

Back to school! And everything since…

Saying good morning on Obsidian's first day of school! :)

Saying good morning on Obsidian’s first day of school! πŸ™‚

I am HORRENDOUSLY behind in sharing what has been going on here! Last week was the first full week of school and Dave happened to be away. The logistics of running two boys with three sports between them are complicated. The car pools are coming together for ice hockey, though. First colds have come through the house, but everyone is doing ok. I hope this week is a little more sane but I am not convinced it will be given my workload forecast…for which I’m grateful! I grabbed a few pictures which somewhat give you a sense of what we’ve been doing.

By far the most gratifying experiences to date have been weekend hikes with the hockey families – groups of 13-14 people, including 8-9 boys. The hikes have been big, with equally big views and the kids have really enjoyed themselves while we parents have gotten a good workout. They still have energy to horse around after dinner, ice cream cones in hand, while the sun dips below the ridge line. I’ll post more hike pictures as soon as I get them annotated. I’m also very happy that several programs are getting off the ground at the local schools – a Math Docent program at two schools and a Coder Dojo at one… stay tuned. Lots more details to take care of there, but I’m very encouraged. Speaking of school, Sam is LOVING it, which is a huge success – rating it 15 out of 10! Ben is very happy at school as well and only causing the expected amount of trouble. πŸ™‚

Ben on his first day of school - this is after school with his buddy, Cole.

Ben on his first day of school – this is after school with his buddy, Cole.

New zip line installed - it's a huge hit! And a good workout hauling your buddy up for a ride :)

New zip line installed – it’s a huge hit! And a good workout hauling your buddy up for a ride πŸ™‚

This is the morning routine - neighbor Kai pops over on his way to the bus and they work on cubing algorithms or shoot the hockey puck. It's awesome. We are SO lucky to have great neighbors and be so close to the bus stop.

This is the morning routine – neighbor Kai pops over on his way to the bus and they work on cubing algorithms or shoot the hockey puck. It’s awesome. We are SO lucky to have great neighbors and be so close to the bus stop.

And back to the rink - this time with two boys! This is Ben's first year playing Mites and he is really enjoying it! This is him waiting to step on the ice for his first practice.

And back to the rink – this time with two boys! This is Ben’s first year playing Mites and he is really enjoying it! This is him waiting to step on the ice for his first practice.

And...another first! Power outage! Very windy today. We broke out the camp stove and made eggs and hot chocolate. Ben is going "ooooh!"

And…another first! Power outage! Very windy today. We broke out the camp stove and made eggs and hot chocolate. Ben is going “ooooh!”

New hen adopted from my friend Anne (who actually sold this house to us). Her flock mates were killed by a raccoon, so she's bunking in with us. This is her second night and she's bravely assessing roosting options. I'm happy to say she was tucked up next to the King, Gordon, when I closed the coop door. Very little bluster and bullying. She's a real sweetie.

New hen adopted from my friend Anne (who actually sold this house to us). Her flock mates were killed by a raccoon, so she’s bunking in with us. This is her second night and she’s bravely assessing roosting options. I’m happy to say she was tucked up next to the King, Gordon, when I closed the coop door. Very little bluster and bullying. She’s a real sweetie.

The Bainbridge Boys have been hiking every weekend - twice up 6000 footer Mt. Townsend (9 miles roundtrip, 3000' elev gain) and enjoyed a great view on their second attempt. We have had such fun with these boys, and for some hiking is a brand new sport which they totally love. Great dry land training!

The Bainbridge Boys have been hiking every weekend – twice up 6000 footer Mt. Townsend (9 miles roundtrip, 3000′ elev gain) and enjoyed a great view on their second attempt. We have had such fun with these boys, and for some hiking is a brand new sport which they totally love. Great dry land training!

Here are more pictures from Darrel:Β https://www.flickr.com/photos/austin-family/sets/72157658183827500

We used hockey sticks for trecking poles :)

We used hockey sticks for trecking poles πŸ™‚

Out on a trail run yesterday with the Bainbridge 6 - more than 5 miles! They were a riot - doing parkour along the way, chasing me with a cricket and generally causing a huge ruckus with big smiles on all our faces. I love the time with them - they are so full of energy.

Out on a trail run yesterday with the Bainbridge 6 – more than 5 miles! They were a riot – doing parkour along the way, chasing me with a cricket and generally causing a huge ruckus with big smiles on all our faces. I love the time with them – they are so full of energy.

Some wounded Warriors catching a ride :)

Some wounded Warriors catching a ride πŸ™‚

Marching back, cricket in hand! Remind me to tell you about the unfortunate demise of Blake Mill Johnson.

Marching back, cricket in hand! Remind me to tell you about the unfortunate demise of Blake Mill Johnson.

Camp Last Hurrah

I started the day with a mysterious jail-break - the chickens were out before I let them out. Looks like I have some coop repair to do! Bad chickens!

I started the day with a mysterious jail-break – the chickens were out before I let them out. Looks like I have some coop repair to do! Bad chickens!

Camp Last Hurrah was Thursday – last week. It was a very busy day, kicked off by a vigorous ride (on Emmy), hay-bale throwing, mucking, then camping. I didn’t stop moving – literally – for 24 hours. At 2:46 pm on Friday (after all the below adventures) I laid down for a rare (like once every 4 years) nap so I could be human when Dave got home. I turned the ringers off, put the boys in their bunks (they were exhausted as well) and was lights out for an hour. When I woke up at 4pm, I felt like I’d been run over by a train. Truly every muscle hurt and it was reminiscent of delivering Sam 10 years ago… But I wouldn’t have traded that 24 hours for anything in the world. Read on to find out why…Some of the stories are classified – you’ll have to ask me for the rest sometime πŸ™‚

I had a great ride on Emmy, threw six 110-lb hay bales from a truck into the barn, mucked the stall and prepared to race home to head out to Fort Flagler for the big annual group campout. I got a text, though, saying that due to the big storm coming through the boys' friends were not going to go. I got an inspiration while mucking that we could just camp in our back 40. Got home, hatched the plan and engaged the boys in helping clear land to make room for the bigger tent. We had to expand our campsite from about 10x10 to 10x20. This entailed taking out a HUGE fern. Sam goes "This is a lot like Clash of Clans (game) but 25 times longer!"

I had a great ride on Emmy, threw six 110-lb hay bales from a truck into the barn, mucked the stall and prepared to race home to head out to Fort Flagler for the big annual group campout. I got a text, though, saying that due to the big storm coming through the boys’ friends were not going to go. I got an inspiration while mucking that we could just camp in our back 40. Got home, hatched the plan and engaged the boys in helping clear land to make room for the bigger tent. We had to expand our campsite from about 10×10 to 10×20. This entailed taking out a HUGE fern. Sam goes “This is a lot like Clash of Clans (game) but 25 times longer!”

An hour of back-breaking work later we had the land leveled off enough for boys to sleep on the ground in sleeping bags without too much discomfort.

An hour of back-breaking work later we had the land leveled off enough for boys to sleep on the ground in sleeping bags without too much discomfort. There were a few soft spots and one little dip in the ground, but not bad for leveling 140 sq ft by hand!

Nice view!

Nice view!

We were starving, so while we waited for campers to arrive we wolfed down Pirate Booty and the boys played Magic.

We were starving, so while we waited for campers to arrive we wolfed down Pirate Booty and the boys played Magic.

Soon we were heating up the chili Dave had made the night before on the new propane portable campfire (seated down in my fire pit).

Soon we were heating up the chili Dave had made the night before on the new propane portable campfire (seated down in my fire pit). This is new friend, John, stirring the chili. Thank you!

Patricia made amazing blackberry crumble. It was seriously good - the best ever!

Patricia made amazing blackberry crumble. It was seriously good – the best ever!

This is the view of the tent in the woods, boys finally settled into a game of Magic. They barely stopped their nerf war, hockey shootout, chasing games to eat, racing around howling like a pack of wolves. But around 9pm I gave a briefing to all 7 boys (5 Sam's age, 2 Ben's age) that it was time to chill a little. Handed out Trident to brush teeth (they loved that!) and headed back to the tent by lantern. Lest you think they followed direction seamlessly...I could hear the howls from far away as I gathered up stuff from around the campfire. There might possibly have been some pillow fights, some jumping around IN sleeping bags trying to knock each other down...I'm surprised the tent was still standing. I put the rain fly up at about 10pm in the dark, solo, in case it did rain...soooo glad I did!

This is the view of the tent in the woods, boys finally settled into a game of Magic. They barely stopped their nerf war, hockey shootout, chasing games to eat, racing around howling like a pack of wolves. But around 9pm I gave a briefing to all 7 boys (5 Sam’s age, 2 Ben’s age) that it was time to chill a little. Handed out Trident to brush teeth (they loved that!) and headed back to the tent by lantern. Lest you think they followed direction seamlessly…I could hear the howls from far away as I gathered up stuff from around the campfire. There might possibly have been some pillow fights, some jumping around IN sleeping bags trying to knock each other down…I’m surprised the tent was still standing. I put the rain fly up at about 10pm in the dark, solo, in case it did rain…soooo glad I did!

I am not sure I slept at all...one of the boys likes to giggle randomly throughout the night, the others squirm and elbow, one talked all night long in his sleep, and there was much thrashing and squirming in general until 5am when the rains came. I texted the parents that all was well in case they worried about wind (I didn't want kids out under trees in the wind, which didn't come until the next day, thankfully).

I am not sure I slept at all…one of the boys likes to giggle randomly throughout the night, the others squirm and elbow, one talked all night long in his sleep, and there was much thrashing and squirming in general until 5am when the rains came. I texted the parents that all was well in case they worried about wind (I didn’t want kids out under trees in the wind, which didn’t come until the next day, thankfully).

Love percolator coffee! Big fan of my horse shoe trivet, too ;)

Love percolator coffee! Big fan of my horse shoe trivet, too πŸ˜‰

Sam making eggs for the gang. He loves to do this.

Sam making eggs for the gang. He loves to do this.

Everyone settling in for some eggs and biscuits - a brief time-out from a Nerf war spanning about a mile between homes.

Everyone settling in for some eggs and biscuits – a brief time-out from a Nerf war spanning about a mile between homes.

The Band of Brothers marching home from a raid!

The Band of Brothers marching home from a raid!

Thanks for this shot of the crew, David Kim! Great to see you for coffee! Boys - it was an honor and privilege to serve with you! Happy Camp Last Hurrah!

Thanks for this shot of the crew, David Kim! Great to see you for coffee! Boys – it was an honor and privilege to serve with you! Happy Camp Last Hurrah!

Hockey campers!

We got back on Saturday from a week in Victoria BC for ice hockey camp with Leslie Global Sports. It was an action-packed 7 days, camping and running logistics for boys going to hockey every day! Both Ben and Sam were in the camp, and we were very fortunate to camp with another family and their two boys of the same age. It was a wonderful time for everyone – what could be better than a week-long sleepover, plus ice hockey? It was pretty challenging for me as Dave couldn’t join us – unable to get away for an additional week on top of going to Orcas two weeks ago for my mom’s 75th – but the boys were really great and we had excellent company helping us out. It was such a superb time – a great footnote to the summer and wonderful memories to carry us throughΒ starting school again.

Here are a few pictures:

Enjoying the 90 min ferry ride to Victoria - rockin' and rollin' with the waves!

Enjoying the 90 min ferry ride to Victoria – rockin’ and rollin’ with the waves!

S'more time with a modded propane stove - no fires allowed at all, not even charcoal. You can have a propane "portable campfire" with flames less than 15cm. This worked quite well thanks to Frank's clever fix!

S’more time with a modded propane stove – no fires allowed at all, not even charcoal. You can have a propane “portable campfire” with flames less than 15cm. This worked quite well thanks to Frank’s clever fix!

Shopping for hungry hockey boys is no joke! This is just for one night! I stepped away to go get plastic forks or something (although we probably didn't use them and dove in head first!) and I came back to find the food all laid out neatly! Surprise!

Shopping for hungry hockey boys is no joke! This is just for one night! I stepped away to go get plastic forks or something (although we probably didn’t use them and dove in head first!) and I came back to find the food all laid out neatly! Surprise!

Dad - notice the Canadian  flag hanging properly above your/our camping flag :)

Dad – notice the Canadian flag hanging properly above your/our camping flag πŸ™‚ Hockey gear drying in the anteroom!

Cracking rocks open with goggles on for safety. Of course, right? What else might you do with some free time outdoors?

Cracking rocks open with goggles on for safety. Of course, right? What else might you do with some free time outdoors?

Trying to make Vancouver Island and Sidney Spit pancakes :)

Trying to make Vancouver Island and Sidney Spit pancakes πŸ™‚

Sam loves to make the eggs. He's quite a good egg scrambler these days. Mom and Richard - the tent is huge, but has wonderful features. That door - genius!

Sam loves to make the eggs. He’s quite a good egg scrambler these days. Mom and Richard – the tent is huge, but has wonderful features. That door – genius!

And video produced by one of the coaches with a GoPro on his helmet:

 

Plum crazy!

The plum tree really produced this year so we were determined to make good on the haul!

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Plums drying in the dehydrator to make medieval plum pudding (which actually contained plums whereas modern plum pudding doesn’t seem to!).

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Ready to go in the oven. ..

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Plum torte based on a 1989 NYT recipe. Here’s hoping! With Dave cooking lentils it really smells good in here!