And So Much More...

When we set the goal of blogging each day during the month of June, we made a list of ideas for the various posts. Despite hitting 25 out of 30 days (wow!), we still have quite a number of ideas left unblogged:

• Grace's 2nd birthday
• a trip to Ocean Shores
• overheard when Grace and Miles shared a room at bedtime
• our garden's progress
• Miles' first steps
• a pet store visit
• Grace's dress-up box
• Vic's chocolate birthday cupcakes (with salted caramel buttercream frosting)
• Miles' haircut
• last Christmas
• Starbucks dates
• the kids' favorite toys

Some of these may yet find their way onto the pages of our blog, but not in June. See you in July!

Memories Needn't Take Up Space

I read a book recently titled Scaling Down: Living Large in a Smaller Space. The authors, Judi Culbertson and Marj Decker, approach the question of home organization and clutter less from a "here's how to store your junk more efficiently" perspective and more from a "here's why you might have so much junk and here's how to part with it so your home functions more efficiently" perspective. I like that. (Minimalism appeals to me on many levels.)


When it comes to baby clothing, people develop sentimental attachments. Now lest any of our readers think sentimentality with regard to baby clothing is silly, let me point out that adults often have trouble parting with clothing they never wear either. It's too small but they wore it for a special occasion and are hoping to be that size again soon. It's completely worn out but they've never found one as comfortable to replace it. It's a terrible color, but it was a present from beloved Aunt Gertrude and they simply can't part with it. They never wear baseball caps anymore, but won't give up the collection they spent years accumulating. You get my point.


So what to do with all of the clothes Grace and Miles wore as little babies? The garments filled two large boxes in our closet, not to mention drawer and closet space in the kids' rooms. And, as is often the case, they had gotten very little wear since the kids grew so quickly -- other children could get great use out of them. Some people choose their favorites, make a quilt out of them, and give away the rest. It's a good idea and one that reduces the clutter significantly. But I'm going one further.


I've taken photos of each of my favorite articles of clothing and will use my seldom-used-these-days graphic design skills to lay out the photos in posters. I'll then frame the posters and hang them as artwork. After I took the photos, I sold or gave away all but two or three things (heirloom-type things which we'll pass on to the kids for their kids someday).


Goal: Keep reminders of the fun and cute things Grace and Miles wore as babies, but reduce clutter in our home and maybe make a little money on the side. Goal achieved? Yep. (Now all I have to do is actually do the layout and print the posters.)

Our Days Are Long

Literally speaking, I guess our days are about as long as ever. I love June and July for their light. In this part of the world this time of year, the sun comes up long before I wake up (5am maybe?) and doesn't set until 9:30 or so. If the day is sunny, the light can last until 10pm.



There's a certain amount of energy that comes from that extra summer light. I mean, when the sun sets at 4:30 in December, and the rain and gray clouds make it seem half dark all day long, don't you just want to curl up in front of a fire by about 6pm, and tuck into bed with a good book by 8? But in the summer everything seems possible, even at 9. Need to do some weeding or wash the car? Want to toss a frisbee with your dog? Hey, no problem -- still plenty of light left. And somehow our stomachs even know the difference in seasons and we find ourselves eating dinner at 8 because we were so busy outside that we didn't realize we were hungry.

We're spending lots more time outside these days. We're doing yardwork, chasing Miles down the sidewalk, keeping Grace from writing in the dust on our cars, trying lunchtime picnics in the backyard, and visiting every park in a five-mile radius. Vic has taken the kids to the zoo twice in two weeks, and we go to one beach or another on a regular basis. We love summer.

Our days are also busy and we are trying so hard not to overdo or overcommit. It's too easy to run from one thing to another when there is so much possible. The reminder at church on Sunday to invest our lives well was so timely. And we still have to accomplish the regular routine -- Vic's work requires quite a bit of time, energy, and organization lately, my work around the house never even approaches being caught up, the kids still need their meals, naps, baths, reading, playing, and consistent parenting...yikes.

No wonder our days are so long.

A Sewing Kind of Day

I woke up this morning and decided to be productive. Most days I would be thwarted at every turn in following through on such a decision. Today the kids and I enjoyed reading together and playing with a variety of their toys, but they also were content for short bits of time to play with each other or on their own. That, combined with longer than usual naptimes, made for an actually productive day.

Some fresh homemade cocoa mix now fills the jar, a favorite shirt of mine is now mended, and Grace's jeans are now patched (she's genuinely concerned when her pants develop holes in the knees). I've also had several sewing projects in mind for a while and am happy to have completed two.

the jeans (Grace likes the dots)


a loungy pair of pants for Miles (from an old dress shirt of Vic's)




a reversible sundress for Grace (from two old pillowcases)

Whew. Here's hoping for a lazy day tomorrow!

The Christmas Story Lives On

Who is this? Oh, it's just Mary. You know, the mother of Jesus.


Grace loves the Christmas story and it's been a bedtime story off and on since December. She also likes the 1968 claymation of the drummer boy and watches it regularly. After seeing this video umpteen times and, one night, getting her flower jammies stuck partway over her head, she announced, "I'm Mary!" And thus a bedtime tradition is born.

(Of course, we doubt Mary ever had her parents tie back her scarf's sleeves to keep them out of the toothpaste.)

It's Not My Favorite

That's what Grace says when we ask if she wants something and she really doesn't. For example,

Me: "Grace, would you like some cheese?"

Grace: "Yes, please!"

Me: "And would you like some grapes?"

Grace: "Yes, please."

Me: "And would you like some broccoli?"

Grace: "Um, it's not my favorite."

Well, I got to do something today that is not my favorite. I went to the dentist. In fact, to clarify, I went to the dentist about a sensitive tooth for the fourth time. He's been really great and is sleuthing out the problem, but in the meantime I'm spending 30 minutes driving there, 20 minutes in the chair, and 30 more minutes driving back. Not how I would choose to spend time with a babysitter watching the kids. And if the tooth is still sensitive next week, I get to go back for time #5 and get the filling replaced.

Definitely not my favorite.

On the other hand, I've had some really great moments with the kids in recent days -- spending time with Grace in the afternoon while Miles was napping (which gave me an unexpectedly happy glimpse at what it might be like when she stops having an afternoon quiet time), hearing Grace and Miles playing together contentedly (without me helping or running interference), and watching the two splashing each other in the tub and laughing hilariously.

Miles is my favorite buddy, and Grace is certainly my favorite girlie.

Homeowners' Associations

With apologies to any of you who may serve on the board of a homeowners' association, we are not big fans of the institution.


It's not that we want to live next door to folks with a rusted out 1967 VW Beetle in their front lawn (although if they planted some beautiful flowers in it, that could be interesting). It's not that we crave loud music at 3am or secretly love neon orange house paint. We like the idea of living in a neighborhood where people care for their home and property. We like the idea of caring for our own home and property, and are glad to do so. We like where we live and are thankful for our home and neighborhood.

All that notwithstanding, I was a little put out when a letter arrived from the property manager over the weekend, stating that our yard was out of compliance and would we please bring it up to standards. Honestly, we have two little ones and yardwork is not highest on our priority list if and when we have free time. As it turns out, they sent the letter to anyone who hadn't mowed in a week or so, and we were certainly guilty of that.


So I brought out my best weed-puller (Grace), grabbed the old-fashioned reel mower, brandished the hedge clippers, learned how to use a weed whacker, and attacked the yard. There's more to do, but we've enjoyed being out in the nicer weather and I've enjoyed getting my hands in the dirt.

Here's hoping they drive by again this week to see the results of our labor.

Checkup Stats

Nothing too exciting today, but we did have Miles' 15-month checkup. Can't believe he's only been around for a year and three months -- it seems much longer since we only had Grace to chase around.


So Miles is in great health. He's still in the 99th percentile for height and weight (34 1/2 inches and 32 1/4 pounds, respectively), which actually surprised us a little bit since he's been a bit of a picky eater lately, as you saw in the video post from a couple of days ago. And Grace was concerned that Miles would be sad from getting a "poke" -- turns out he had to get three shots, but survived with a minimum of fuss.

Next regularly scheduled checkup will be Grace's three year. Three year? Wow.

Happy Daddy's Day

This was our Father's Day at the Lipsey house:

~ a banner with "Happy Daddy's Day, we love you" signed by Miles and Grace
~ sourdough waffles with blueberries and raspberries
~ church
~ a stop at the bread store (aka Great Harvest)
~ a walk through the farmers' market
~ a long nap
~ grilled kebabs and corn on the cob
~ a lovely phone chat with Vic's parents
~ apricot-coconut crisp with vanilla bean gelato
~ lots of hugs, tickles, and giggles

How was yours?

I. Said. I'm. Not. Hungry.

August 14, 2010

Our niece, Kristin, was married to Corey last summer and asked Grace to be her flower girl. At the time, of course, Grace was just barely two years old, so our first response was, "Do you care if she actually walks down the aisle, throws flowers, or does anything else she's supposed to do?" Since this wasn't of concern to Kristin, we happily accepted the invitation on Grace's behalf.

Grace actually did great.

We practiced for a day or two. "Walk, walk, walk, THROW!" Mostly she just liked the throwing, so we emphasized the walking.

Then at the rehearsal, Grace got to practice twice with an audience, and we taught her to "throw the petals, stand by Julie." (She loves her cousin, Juliann, so we knew she'd go to her.)

Finally, the big day.

It all went well until Grace got one quarter of the way down the aisle and came face to face with the photographer.



He hadn't been there during rehearsal, of course, and she was a little frightened by the big, tall guy and the bright flash. No amount of cajoling on the part of Vic or the wedding coordinator would get her to go any further. So her mommy briefly joined the wedding ceremony.



Once Grace got down the aisle and finished throwing her petals, she stood quiet and wide-eyed next to her cousin Julie for the entire ceremony.







Since we'd sort of been counting on her fidgeting and having to go sit with mommy, we had no exit strategy for her, and she ended up trailing behind Julie and her escort out of the church.



I'm amazed, looking at the rehearsal video now, at how well our little flower girl did. I'm not surprised, of course, at how beautiful she was.

Grace Recommends (part four)

Just one favorite today: Madeline, by Ludwig Bemelmans.



I didn't read this series as a child, but am having a lot of fun introducing them to Grace. Madeline is such a great character, and has some of the spunk I imagine Grace will have as she gets older. For now, we are reading this book over and over, Grace is learning new things, and I am particularly enjoying the illustrations with scenes of Paris in the background.

If there's a young girl in your circle of family and/or friends, we happily encourage you to pick up a copy of Madeline and read it together.

May 1, 2011

Ah, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.


The beautiful flowers.


The breathtaking expanses of color.


While Vic's mom was here for a visit this spring,
we took a drive to go see the tulips.


Even Miles seemed to realize he was seeing something out of the ordinary.
Ah, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.


The fresh rain puddles for jumping.


The boot-grabbing suction that robs you of any semblance of balance and leaves your hands and backside completely wet and muddy. Yep, Grace pretty much just enjoyed the ordinary, and we're glad she had fun.

Artichokes

Grace has interesting taste buds.

She turned up her nose last night at the yummiest, creamiest chocolate milk, but she would throw kalamata olives, garlicky dill pickles, balsamic vinegar, and artichokes into the grocery cart if we ever got the cart close enough for her to grab them.

Lipsey Lunchtime

A lovely summer lunch at the Lipsey house. Grace is in her sunsuit and Miles is in his swimsuit. (And the Little People cows are along for the meal.) We need more such summery days.

Catching Up

Today included lots of reading and journaling, as well as HGTV, napping, snacking, and nose-blowing. (I should probably be upset that I came down with a cold during my time off, but mostly I'm just glad for the ability to rest while not feeling well.)

Drew Grow & the Pastors' Wives

As a gift, a weekend away is virtually unparalleled.

Vic is hanging with Grace and Miles this weekend to give me a little time to breathe. (It's amazing, but I actually do feel that more air is making its way into the deepest nooks and crannies of my lungs.)


My brother Drew has been growing as a musician and artist for years now. It was a joy to be able to go to his band's show tonight.

Puzzle Thursday

Babies and toddlers need tradition. Well, maybe not tradition, exactly, since they probably won't remember things from this period of their lives much. But they definitely need routine.


Part of our routine is Puzzle Thursday. Grace and Miles will play with puzzles anytime, but by giving them a special day, it occupies their hands and minds for much longer and they have more fun because they get to pull out every puzzle they can find. Pieces everywhere? You bet. And I can't wait until they graduate to working more and more advanced puzzles. After all, doing puzzles with a parent is a Grow family tradition I grew up with.

March 15, 2011

Miles is one!

In a party that saw our living/dining room more crowded with friends and family than it has ever been, our little buddy celebrated his first birthday. Miles, who goes by a number of nicknames -- Buddy, Dude, Bobbaloo, Chunky Monkey, Sweet Boy, Little Man, and a number of others -- is turning out to be quite the social bug and thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Here are some shots of the party:

the crayon table was a big hit


the Evans, Kulpers, Whites, and Kennedys all came to celebrate with us


so did the Andersons, Alderfers, Roys, and Libbys


Miles wasn't sure what to do with the cupcake


Grace helped make the cupcakes and knew exactly what to do


flinging frosting everywhere


at party's end

Putting Costco Quantities to Good Use

When Grace runs out of things to do these days, she grabs a book and hands it to me. Does she want me to read to her? Nope. The book is this one:


and she's hoping I'll find an idea of something fun for her to do. The activity for yesterday involved the 36-roll package of Kirkland Signature toilet paper. Yes, it's useful for more than simply stocking the bathroom for six months. We made towers (and Miles knocked them over), pyramids (which Miles knocked over), and buildings (yep, Miles knocked those down too). Then, in a shot reminiscent of one from about two years ago, we buried Grace in the rolls...


and Miles ate them.


Who knew toilet paper could be so much fun? And as an added bonus, it makes virtually no noise when towers of it crash down. A big improvement over wooden blocks.