happy weekend

I am trying really hard to detect any hint of fall here in the desert, but so far no luck. It was sort of crisp a few mornings ago, but that's just not cutting it. So we're heading out of town tomorrow in search of cooler temperatures and maybe even some changing leaves. And this time we're taking the kids! I'll be posting on instagram while we're away, if you want to follow along. We have been looking forward to this trip for months.

The Indie Folk Revival station on Pandora is totally my jam right now and I don't even care if that makes me a hipster wannabe. First Aid Kit is my new favorite.

In other news, it was twenty years ago this week that The Family: A Proclamation to the World was introduced. It is still so relevant! Now, more than ever, actually. We have a humongous copy of it hanging on our wall for good reason. I believe it contains so many important principles and it is my job as a mother to teach them to my children, for the world will try to teach them differently. If they can understand who they are, where they came from, and how to create a happy family (all things contained in the Proclamation), then no matter what comes their way, my children will be ok. I have found this to be true in my own life and I know it can be true in theirs, too.

Because our elementary school is just around the corner, Stella can walk home for lunch if she wants to. Elliot and I loved having her home for a few minutes the other day. She's a homebody and the school day is just so long, you know? It's nice to take a breather at home in the middle of the day. I feel really lucky that this is an option for us.

Well, I'm off to do another load of laundry and pack our suitcases. Have a happy weekend!

Seattle

We spent the last two days of our trip in Seattle. Since we didn't have a car, we decided to travel by train. It was great! I'd totally do that again. It took about 3 hours or so and was a good way to see more of beautiful Oregon (or to finish The Martian and take a nap, which is what I mostly did).

Once we arrived in Seattle, we figured out the bus situation (Seattle has lots of public transportation options) and checked into our hotel. We dropped off our bags, and headed for Pike Place Market. We ate some really good Russian pastries and browsed the stalls. It reminded me of Boston's Faneuil Hall a bit. I couldn't believe how beautiful and cheap the flowers were!

That night we ate at Pho Bac and stopped at the Pie Bar for dessert. Both were excellent.

Our hotel had a great view of the Space Needle. At this point, we were pretty ready to be home, I think, so we spent our last day (which was remarkably sunny) going for a run, eating at Pho Bac again, and dinking around. We took the light rail to the airport and flew home that evening to find our kids sleeping in their beds. It was such a wonderful trip! Thanks Seattle!

Multnomah Falls

One afternoon we rented a car for a few hours (from RelayRides). We could either go to the coast or to the Columbia River Gorge. We chose the Gorge (which is about an hour outside of Portland). I don't regret it one bit. It was so gorgeous! We had a really great time hiking around Multnomah Falls. I wish we'd been able to visit the coast, too, but maybe we can do that next time.

We did the 5 mile loop hike that starts at the base of Multnomah Falls, climbs to the top, then climbs some more. It was a warm day, but the path was mostly shady and it seemed like around every corner was another spot where the spray from the water cooled us right down. It was a busy place, but the loop we chose was deserted just enough so that we almost felt like we had the mountain to ourselves.

The colors were just starting to change here, too. I can imagine that in another two weeks it will be spectacular.

happy weekend

It sure is great to get away with Mike, but it's always nice to come home, too. We have library books to return and homework to sign and most importantly, kids to hug.

This weekend is full of good things. Nothing major, just regular family stuff. I can't wait. Plus, fall is only a few days away and the temperature isn't even supposed to break 100. Hooray!

Hey, my brother-in-law just launched a kickstarter for a super cool belt. It's called the Ripcord Belt. It looks like a regular belt, but has yards of ripcord hidden inside. It might be just the right thing for the rugged guy in your life. Check it out! And have a great weekend!

Portland

Mike and I just returned from a week away in Portland and Seattle. Neither one of us had ever been to the Pacific Northwest before, and we had such a nice time. Here are a few or our favorite things from our time in Portland:

Powell's Books takes up an entire city block and sells more new and used books than I've ever seen. I showed extreme restraint and only bought one kids book. Mike loved browsing this book. I wished so badly that Mabel had been there with me. She would have flipped! After looking at books, we walked to Salt & Straw and waited in the super long line for ice cream. Was it worth the wait? Yes. I got a scoop of smoked cinnamon apple and it tasted just like fall.

Portland is a lot more quaint and homey than I was expecting. It's not at all as weird as Portlandia would make you believe. And everyone was so friendly! It felt like all the restaurants were filled with regulars and the servers were their best friends. I liked that it didn't feel like a big city. We didn't rent a car and were able to easily walk wherever we needed to go. We even went running a couple of times on the waterfront paths on the banks of the Willamette River. It was so pretty.

Also, we totally lucked out with the weather. It was sunny and warm everyday. I think they were having an end-of-summer heat wave, but it felt wonderful to us desert dwellers.

There are large murals painted all over the city. I especially loved the ones of roses. Portland is known as the Rose City, I think.

The big draw of downtown has to be the food. There are entire blocks made up just of food trucks. We loved Chez Dodo (get the shymosas!), Kargi Gogo (get the cheese bread), and Korean Twist for the tacos.

We also enjoyed Brunch Box, Tilt, and Pok Pok (get the wings). I didn't get a picture, but we met up with one of my oldest friends and her husband at Pok Pok. That was the highlight of the trip for me. I love you, Laura! And you, too, Dave! Thanks for driving into the city to meet up.

There are lots of pretty tree-lined streets and old buildings. One day we popped into Blue Star for some doughnuts. Everyone said to skip Voodoo and go to Blue Star instead, so that's what we did. They were simple and fresh and delicious.

Sunday afternoon found us wandering around Washington Park. The colors were just starting to change. It was gorgeous. We tried to go to the Japanese Garden, which I'd heard was a must-see, but it was closed for renovations. If we were ever to move to Portland, the neighborhood bordering this park would be a dreamy place to live. Think really charming bungalows in pristine condition on windy, tree-lined roads.

It's hard to believe that we could walk here from our hotel in downtown! (Actually, we took the MAX there, but we did walk home.) Having a getaway like this with Mike is such a treat. Thank goodness for my sister-in-law, Lindsi, who doubled her bunch by taking on our kids while we were away.

a good video to share with your kids

This video teaches kids what to do when they see pornography in a way that they can easily understand. Oh man, it is so important! I love how it explains that feelings of attraction are meant to create and build strong families, and that those feelings should be aimed at real people, not at screens or photos. I'm watching it with my kids when they get home from school today.

Also, check out the highly recommended book Good Pictures Bad Pictures on which the video is based.

Oliver turns 11

Oliver is dependable, obedient, and hard working. And yesterday he turned 11! It's hard having your birthday on fast Sunday, but when the day was done, we grilled some steaks in his honor and Mabel baked him a cookies-n-cream cake. And then we went for a family walk, even though it was too hot outside. Oliver is an easy kid, and he has been since birth. I don't think he's ever given me a moment's trouble. I'm not sure what we did to deserve him, but we're sure glad he's part of our family!

happy weekend

It's the weekend! Hooray!

Here's a bit of good news: It was the slightest bit crisp outside this morning. Granted, it didn't last long, but that means the end of this blasted summer is on its way. Oh, it felt so good!

Other news: I've been lining the top of that wedding dress all week. I'll be sad to see it go, it's so beautiful. It makes me happy knowing that there are dresses this gorgeous in the world.

And still other news: Oliver turns 11 this weekend! He's such a great kid, with the best and lowest expectations for his gifts. He makes being his parent really easy. Mabel is going to bake him a cake and we might go to the skating rink to celebrate.

I am dreaming of apples and sweaters and jeans. What are you dreaming of this weekend?

Have a good one!

hot school-day breakfasts

During the school year, I make a hot breakfast for my kids most days. Here are some of the things we like to eat:

Eggs. At least one morning a week I make eggs - usually scrambled with a little cheese and a left-over roll as a sandwich or alongside a nice, thick slice of toast, or in a burrito. Sometimes I'll bake a batch of muffins (like these or these) for an after school snack and serve them with eggs the next morning for breakfast. If I am feeling really generous (or have some extra time), I'll make buttermilk biscuits to go with them. I suppose those could always be made ahead of time, but there are not many things better than biscuits fresh from the oven. We're avoiding white flour during the week (except in tortilla form), so these haven't made a school-day appearance yet. It only takes a few minutes to scramble or fry eggs, and giving my kids a big helping of protein before their long school day makes me feel like a good mom.

Pancakes. This is probably my kids' favorite hot breakfast. This school year I've been using Kodiak Cakes. We like the Whole Wheat Oat and Honey Frontier Flapjack Mix. I love that they are quick (you can just add water to the mix) and they are made from whole wheat with no added sugar. I've been adding quick oats and an egg to our batter to beef them up a little bit. My boys love theirs with peanut butter and homemade syrup. Sometimes I'll make a few extra to stick in their lunches. They are just as good cold as warm. You could even make a big batch and keep them in the fridge to reheat throughout the week if you really wanted to save time, but they are really quick to make the day of. I try to serve them with a little fruit on the side.

Baked oatmeal is one of my personal favorites. This is prepared the night before, then baked in the morning for 30 minutes. I like that you can make it as sweet or not as you like. Sometimes I make it with raisins, sometimes blueberries. Sometimes I serve it with banana slices on top. Because it is prepared the night before, it frees up my morning for making lunches and my kitchen from dirty dishes. I always feel really on top of things when this is baking in my oven.

Oatmeal. Elliot would eat a big bowl of oatmeal every morning if the other kids were on board. I set a pot of whole milk and water (with a dash of salt) to boil, then dump in some quick oats, give it a few stirs, put a lid on it, and set it aside while I make the lunches. When it's done cooking, I top it with a good amount of cinnamon and nutmeg, and a sprinkling of brown sugar. My kids don't like fruit in their oatmeal, but I try to serve it alongside. Peaches go really well with it, I think.

Cream of Wheat is a new one for us this year. I grew up on it, but my kids had never really had it before. It cooks up in just a few minutes and is very filling. We top ours with a bit of brown sugar.

German pancakes are a special Sunday morning treat, but could work for a school day, too. They are best when they are made from all-purpose flour, so that's why we save them for Sunday. But my kids gobble them up every time I make them. I've changed my recipe to make them a little heartier. I blend 8 eggs, 1 1/3 cups milk, 1 1/3 cups flour, and 3/4 tsp salt together while 4 tablespoons of butter are melting in a 9x13 inch pan in the 400 degree oven. Once the butter is melted, I pour the mixture in and bake for 18 minutes. We like ours best with a squeeze of lemon juice and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Sadly, our waffle iron bit the dust this summer. I'm putting this one on my Christmas list. But if I had one now, I'd be making pumpkin gingerbread waffles or these favorite waffles (subbing in whole wheat flour) at least once a week. Waffles are always great to make ahead of time and freeze. Then you can reheat them quickly on school days. I like to keep fresh cream on hand to whip with a touch of sugar and vanilla as a waffle topping. My kids prefer syrup, but it's so sugary! I like having lightly sweetened whipped cream as an alternative.

Some things that help our mornings run more smoothly: I always decide the night before what I'll be making for breakfast the next day. And I wake up early. I make sure I have plenty of time to exercise and still be in the kitchen by 6 to get breakfast and lunch packing started. We eat breakfast at about 6:35. Mabel and Oliver have to be out the door by 7, and I like to sit and read scriptures with them while they eat. Being up early helps me get all of this accomplished without feeling too frantic. Oh, and we totally eat cold cereal sometimes, too. Ha!

in which I give up my smart phone and take back my life

I've known things have needed to change for a while. Any time I had a free second, my first instinct was to grab my phone and disappear. Too many times when my children asked me a question, I answered without taking my eyes from the screen. Or I didn't answer as kindly as I could have because I felt like they were interrupting me. Interrupting me from my instagram! I realize how ridiculous this sounds. But as much as I tried to manage it, it wasn't working. I wasn't getting any better at being present.

Also, Mabel keeps asking for an iPhone and I keep telling her no (as mine is glued to my hand). It just didn't feel right or fair.

So when my friend, Annie, told me she traded in her iPhone for a more basic model, it was like the heavens parted and my answer was clear. I could ditch my smart phone! All of a sudden I felt free. A burden was lifted off my shoulders and my future looked bright. I didn't have to be tied to a phone anymore. I could just get rid of it. Simple as that! I had somehow survived before I had a smartphone, right? Mike was very supportive.

So I did it. You're looking at my new phone right there. It's like turning back the clock to 2010. It's great for making calls and answering texts.  And it's blissfully instagram and Facebook and internet free. My kids think it's super cool. All of those fun little buttons! Ha!

Full disclosure: We still have an iPad mini, so I can check in with instagram from time to time. But the idea is that an iPad is a lot less convenient to carry around all day. So far that has been true, and I have been happier and more content and more "here". It's funny how once you give something up, you realize you don't even miss it.

What I've realized most of all, though, is that it's never too late to make a change for the better. If I do this now, my kids probably won't remember the mom who was addicted to her phone. They say the best time to plant a tree is either 20 years ago or today. I can't change what I've done in the past, but I can certainly decide to make better choices today.