Hot Fun In The Summertime (Project 358: Day 230)

The other day, my mom and I decided to make the most of the hot summer weather and take the kids to Bertha Henschel park in East Sacramento. Located on 45th Street between A and B, Bertha Henschel is a real gem. In addition to standard playground equipment, basketball courts, a soccer field, and picnic areas, there is a small fenced-in wading pool for children 7 and younger. On one end of the wading pool is a giant, mushroom-shaped fountain that dispenses a constant stream of water for children to play in. The kids had a blast and my mom and I had a lovely time relaxing in the ample shade watching them play.

Unfortunately, due to dwindling city funding, the pool at Bertha Henschel park may not be open next summer. Volunteers are working hard to raise the $22,000 dollars necessary to save it (yikes!). It would be a real tragedy if this pool were to close. It is obviously well loved by children and parents alike; the place was packed.

If you'd like to help out, all fundraising is being funneled through the non-profit Gifts To Share. Send your tax deductible donation (Tax ID # 94-29285546) to:

Gifts To Share, Inc.

915 I Street, 5th Floor

Sacramento, CA 95814

(Please write "Bertha Henschel" in the memo line.)

Or donate online www.giftstoshare.org by clicking on their "Donate Now" link and then designating Bertha Henschel Pool in the "Program Designation" tab.

Note: all money raised will remain with the park even if the City is unable to fund the pool. The money will then be used for desired park improvements.

I do so hope that we are able to keep the pool open another year. Just look at the fun we had...

Day 230: Pure Delight

Photo by my mom (KP) (Edited by AS)

Photo by KP (Edited by AS)

Project 358: Days 209 - 215

Day 209: Fail. No Photo.
Day 210: Fail. No Photo.

I've been writing that so much these days, it almost feels silly to say that I'm still taking part in the project. Except, after taking a moment to figure out exactly how many days I've missed, I discovered the number is only 15. Out of a total of 221 days so far, I'm thinkin' 15 misses ain't bad. And so, I continue on with the project for the remaining 137 days. In fact,  I think I'll challenge myself to make it there without missing any more!

Onward!

Day 211: Miss Mazzy's Birthday Crown

Evan, and his lifelong friend Mazzy, were in the same parent participation preschool class this past year and, as  participating parents, Mazzy's mom Keri and I were strongly encouraged to take on duties that went beyond the requirement of helping out in class once a week. The job I chose was that of "social coordinator" which, as it turned out, really just involved making crowns for the children whose birthdays fell within the school year. I thoroughly enjoyed this crafty task but was saddened by the fact that I wouldn't be making one for Mazzy, as her birthday is in August. So, Keri and I decided it would be fun for Mazzy if I made her a crown anyway and brought it to her 5th birthday party. Pictured above is Miss Mazzy's crown. I may have put a little more bling on hers than I did the other children's, but can you blame me? I mean, she's practically my neice! I wanted that crown to sparkle as much as she does. (It doesn't even come close.)

Day 212: Volunteer

This little green friend pictured above was not planted by me, nor anyone else that resides in my home. He volunteered himself as an addition to our garden, right smack in the middle of some irrigation tubing. Still, we decided to let the little guy grow. I'm still not sure what he is, though. At first, I thought cucumber, because the leaves are similar and, much like cucumber, this plant has those delightfully "grabby" little curlicue tendrils. But then the thing bloomed and I realized it couldn't be cucumber; the blossoms were much too large and resembled those of zucchini. Except, zucchini doesn't have the curlicues, so I'm confused. Our little volunteer continues to grow at an alarming rate, but has yet to bear fruit. Anyone out there have any idea what it is? (I'm hoping it's winter squash!)


Day 213: Fail. No photo.

Day 214: Adventure Village

A week after Evan's two night visit to Grandma Kim's house, he had the chance to do it all over again. This time while he was away, we decided to take Elinor to the Granite Arch, a rock-climbing gym in Rancho Cordova. She's always been a climber and we thought she might have fun with a little bouldering at the gym. We chose the Granite Arch over Pipeworks (where Stephen and I had a date earlier this year) because they have a play area for kids that they call Adventure Village. It turned out that Elinor was not the least bit interested in bouldering, mostly because she was intimated by the size of it I think, but she had fun playing in Adventure Village, pictured above and below. That said, I don't think we'll be going back. The climbing and bouldering areas were very nice, but the play area didn't look very well maintained and, with shredded old tires used as the floor covering, it felt really dirty (Elinor's face, arms and hands were dark grey by the time we left). I mean, sure it was bouncy, and I'm all for recycling, but old tires? In a playground? Seems kind of, I don't know, toxic? Anyway, we definitely didn't feel the experience was worth the $9 drop-in fee. Live and learn.

Whoa, trippy.

Peek-a-boo!

One of the best parts of having Evan gone for a couple of days was watching him come home and give his sister a HUGE hug, lifting her off the ground and squeezing her with all his might. As much fun as he had at Grandma Kim's, he missed his sister. And she missed him. Having one child may be simpler, but man I'm glad I had two, if only for moments like that. And this:

Day 215: Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

So Long, Brudder! (Project 358: Day 207)

When Stephen's mom proposed that Evan come stay with her for two nights at her home in Sebastopol, we had no reservations, save one: that Elinor would feel left out and want to come along too. As it turned out, her reaction to the news was quite the opposite. When Grandma Kim arrived to pick Evan up, Elinor practically pushed him out the door, delaying the process only briefly to do a thorough safety inspection of the vehicle before sending him on his way. It became clear immediately that she was quite content having Mommy and Daddy to herself. And though I experienced occasional pangs of sadness due to the absence of my first-born (this was the longest I had been away from him, ever, in all  five years of his existence), overall, I relished the experience. How wonderful to be able to focus all of my attention on Elinor, as I had with Evan for nearly two and a half years before his sister was born.

Stephen was working the first day of Evan's Grand Adventure, leaving just us girls at the Silack house. We started our time together with a nice long nap, which I realize doesn't sound very exciting or like a very good use of our time together, but oh man, I wouldn't change it if I could. We slept, snuggled together in my bed, for a good two and a half hours before I woke up. I  tried to rouse Elinor at that point but she must have been quite comfy because she slept for another 45 minutes! When she finally awoke, it was time to head to my parents' house for dinner, as we usually do one night out of Stephen's 48 hour shift. Our evening there was relaxed and fun and Elinor, not having to compete with her brother for attention, was far less clingy and whiny than usual. As we made our way home after dinner, it became quite clear to me that Elinor wasn't going to bed any time soon. She had, after all, had an unusually long nap very late in the afternoon. So, instead, we put on our jammies and cuddled up on the couch to watch Toy Story 3, for the eighteen-bazillionth time, before heading to bed. 

The next morning, we slept in. Until nearly 8 am! And just as I was starting to think, I could get used to this just girls thang, Stephen came home. He'd slept all night at work (miraculously) and was excited to start our day, just the three of us.

First stop: Rubicon Brewing Company for lunch. Now, Stephen and I have been known to take our children to restaurants on a fairly regular basis. We don't take them to "nice" restaurants where our children would be considered a nuisance to other patrons, but we don't hesitate to take them to family-friendly establishments, such as the Old Spaghetti Factory, Burr's Fountain, or Celia's Mexican. The children tend to be pretty well-behaved during these outings. Even so, they are children, both under five years of age, and the length of time they are willing to (or capable of) sit(ting) in a chair is limited. Which is why I was so delightfully surprised when Elinor allowed us to sit and eat and drink and talk at Rubicon for nearly two hours. She was so fun and adorable, ordering her own food (grilled cheese, carrot and celery sticks, water) and entertaining us with her colorful imagination and seemingly endless range of facial expressions, of which only a small sampling are captured here:

(I forgot to bring my camera, so all photos were taken with Stephen's iPod Touch.)

Day 207: Evan? Evan Who?

Want some, Mom?

After lunch, we decided to check out Art Beast, an art and imagination studio for kids located in Midtown Sacramento. This place is super cool, filled with every kind of art medium you could possibly imagine, as well as musical instruments, costumes, and toys for imaginative play. AND, every cent you spend there (drop-in admission is $8 per person, they only charge for one adult per family, and children under one year are free) goes directly to  Tubman House, a local nonprofit serving young homeless parents and their children. They also offer punch cards and memberships at discounted rates, have a wide selection of cool classes such as dance, drum circle, and yoga, and you can have birthday parties there! Overall, it is totally awesome. We had a blast and will definitely be going back sometime soon. Some pics from our time there...

Perplexing Costume

Overheard in the costume room:
5 or 6-year-old boy in Buzz Lightyear costume: I'm Buzz Lightyear!
Elinor, still in street clothes: I'm Woody.
Boy: Doesn't Woody wear boots?
Elinor: I'm pretendin' my tennis shoes are boots, OKAY?!

(Oh, Elinor, be glad you have an older brother. As tough he is on you sometimes, he has, in turn, made you tough.)

The boy in the Buzz Lightyear costume seemed satisfied by her response and they ended up playing together for quite some time. I love that Elinor can hold her own with the big kids.

Eventually, Elinor was able to get what she really wanted: the Buzz Lightyear costume. The girl is obsessed with Buzz Lightyear and can often be found jumping off of couches or chairs, beds or playground equipment yelling at the top of her lungs, "To Infinity and Beyoooond!"

Happy girl.

Painting in the Arts & Crafts room.

One of the walls in the art room was covered with a giant piece of plexiglass for painting. Not wanting to waste any paper with my "art" I opted to paint on the plexiglass and ended up being really glad I did. It's hard to explain, but the paint goes on so smoothly, it felt very satisfying and soothing to me. And, when you're finished, it washes away easily with water. Now I want Stephen to install something similar in our backyard for the kids (okay, for me too). That way, the kids can paint to their hearts content without wasting a single sheet of paper. And if they paint a masterpiece I simply cannot part with, I'll just grab my camera and take a pic!

Elinor, your daddy and I so enjoyed our special time with you. You've got our hearts, little girl, no doubt about that. Thank you for being you.

We love you, Elinor Rose!

Project 358: Days 202 - 206

Day 202: Fail. No photo.

Day 203: Summertime Snow

Day 204: Evan Art (Buzz Lightyear)

Day 205: Fail. No photo.  (Seems I'm getting lazier these days...)

Day 206: My, How He's Grown!

Evan recently had the chance to spend TWO WHOLE NIGHTS at his grandma's home in Sebastopol ALL BY HIMSELF! The photo above was taken the morning she came to pick him up. Looks just a wee bit excited don'tcha think? On his lap is a map that he drew showing Grandma Kim how to get to her house from our house. Elinor felt it necessary to do a thorough safety inspection of the vehicle before their departure. She's like a mini Stephen.

Upcoming post: how we spent our time during our brief journey back into the relative simplicity of life with one child.

Project 358: Day 200

Yet another sleeping kid photo...

Day 200: Sweet Slumber

Project 358: Days 196 - 198

Day 196: Mr. Catalog Head, by Evan

Day 197: Inner Workings of the Parsons Family GOPP (Grand Old Player Piano)

Day 198: Tossin' Rocks in the American River

Project 358: Days 188 - 194

Day 188: Fire In The Sky

Day 189: Lunch.

Tempeh bacon, golden heirloom tomato, avocado, baby spinach, sunflower sprouts, mustard, and Vegenaise on whole wheat bread. On the side: arugula, golden heirloom tomato, avocado, and sunflower seeds tossed in balsamic vinaigrette. Yum.

Day 190: Uncertain

Day 191: Breakfast.

A big ol' hearty breakfast hash made from red onion, green bell pepper, red potatoes, and crumbled Organic "Hemp-fest" Breakfast Patties. Topped with tomato, avocado, and a dash o' Chalula hot sauce. This was so freakin' yummy, but the photo does not do it justice. In hindsight, I realize I shoulda' thrown a piece of toast in the mix, if only for compositional purposes. Oh, well. C'est la vie!

Day 192: Dinner.

Peanut Stew:

1. Chop half an onion and cook in pot.
2. Add a can of stewed tomatoes, a half cup of crunchy peanut butter, and a half can of garbanzo beans.
3. Chop a potato and add to pot with a sprinkling of thyme.
4. Cover pot and cook on low heat for 20 min.
5. Serve on rice.
6. Munch.

I snagged this recipe from The Vegan Stoner, a charming and aesthetically pleasing blog dedicated to food that is "cheap, fast, and vegan." I've been following the blog for a while now, but this is the first recipe that I felt compelled to try (they had me at "crunchy peanut butter"). I did have to cook it for almost twice as long as directed to get the potatoes soft, and we did end up adding salt, black pepper, and cayenne because it needed a little kick, but overall, this recipe is bomb. I will be making it again in the future fo' sho'.

Day 193: Have Wheels, Will Travel

Elinor's legs are now long enough to pedal the tricycle! Evan, nine whole months after receiving a bicycle for his birthday, finally decided to try riding the thing!! Dreams of family bike rides are dancing in my head!!! I LOVE EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!

I am a happy mama.

Day 194: So Close, Yet So Far Away

My childhood pool, closed for the summer due to budget cuts. Sigh. This kinda' broke my heart a little, truth be told.

Project 358: Days 172 - 176

Day 172: Pals For Life

Day 173: Fail. No photo.

Day 174: In Her Own Little World

Day 175: Fail. No photo.

Day 176: Happy Birthday To Meeee!

(Far) Beyond Pretty

I read this fantastic article from the Huffington Post today, posted by a friend on Facebook, and titled How To Talk To Little Girls. I strongly encourage you to read the article. It's a quick and easy read but, more importantly, it carries a very important message, for everyone, regardless of the frequency of your interaction with little girls. But just in case you don't take the time to read it, the gist of the article is this: each and every one of us needs to examine the way we talk to little girls. Too often upon meeting a girl, we open the conversation with a comment on her appearance ("Aren't you a little doll?" "My goodness, you are pretty!" "I love your dress!" "You have the prettiest hair" etc., etc...). Believe me, I am as guilty of this as the rest of you; not only is the focus on female appearance strongly ingrained into our culture, the fact remains that, by and large, little girls are incredibly adorable little creatures! That said, by giving into this urge, we are doing our daughters no favor. Instead, we send the unspoken message that appearance takes precedence over other attributes. We send the message that being pretty is more important than being smart, funny, strong, clever, creative, unique. Is that really a message we want to send to our little girls? Don't they already have enough things telling them that "pretty" is the end-all-be-all in this media-saturated world of reality TV and celebrity obsession, in a world where, as the article states, "twenty-five percent of young American women would rather win America's Next Top Model than the Nobel Peace Prize"?

In my family, I am the middle child of three girls. While I am sure that competition is natural among any and all combinations of siblings, it is my personal opinion that having multiple children of the same sex greatly magnifies this competitiveness. As three girls struggling for our parents' attention, my sisters and I each took on very specific roles: Jessica was the "smart" one (also the "smart-ass" one); Maggie was the "funny, lovable" one; I was the "pretty" one...

(Before I continue, I feel it necessary to state that this is NOT a personal pity party. Overall, I had a very good childhood and I am grateful for everything I have been given, everything I have received. There are many others far worse off than I, but one thing I have learned (and that I am still trying to accept) is that we all have problems, no matter how desolate, privileged, or somewhere-in-between our lives are.)

...This designation as the Pretty One proved to be incredibly damaging to me, for many reasons. Here, in numbered format, are some thoughts that frequently went through my pre-pubescent, pubescent, young adult, and (let's face it) current adult mind:

1. How can I be the "pretty one" when my sisters are so obviously, physically attractive? Apparently, they've got more going on than me...
2. If my looks are the most important thing I have to offer to the world, FUCK, I better be perfect.
3. I am so not perfect. I have acne. I sweat profusely. My eyebrows look like caterpillars. I have a mustache. My hair is too thin. I have hair on my toes. And my knuckles. My armpits are too "fleshy." I have a gut. My butt isn't perky enough. I wish my jawline was more defined. My eyelids are heavy. I have hangnails. I have weird little bumps on my upper arms...the list goes on and on....and on...and on....and on.
4. I feel like I have more to offer the world. I feel like I am smart. And creative. Like I have ideas that matter, and yet...
5. And yet...everyone focuses on "the pretty". So. That must be the best I've got to offer.

. . . . . .

The getting older is a funny thing. On the one hand, I am more leveled, more confident, more secure, than I ever have been before. On the other hand, my body is aging (obviously) and, as someone who has focused on her looks as the mainstay of her worth for much of her life, this is disheartening. I will turn 33  on Friday. I am the mother of two children. I now know, deep down, that I am more than pretty. But, my god, the scars remain. I still spend an inordinate amount of time dressing myself before meeting with friends. I still very, VERY rarely leave the house without at least a little makeup. I still post pictures of myself on Facebook or my blog and hope that people will tell me I'm pretty. 

This shit is damaging, mark my words.

And yet, I am now guilty of inflicting the same damage upon my own daughter! I try, believe me, do I try. But the words, "You're so pretty" still come out. (I cringe every time, but they do!)...

. . . . . .

My dear Elinor, please know that you are much, much more than your looks. This may be hard for you to accept; you were "blessed" with eyes as big as saucers and as blue as the Aegean Sea. People are taken aback by them and feel the need to comment on how beautiful they are. This will continue throughout your life, I am sure of it. You are more than your eyes, my love. You are the soul I see within your eyes. You are full of life, whip-smart, intensely creative, and so. fucking. funny. You, my love, are amazing. Please, don't ever sell yourself short of that.

Project 358: Days 166 - 167

Last week, I took a beginning photography "class" with a friend of mine. I put the word "class" in quotation marks because it lasted a measly two and a half hours and consisted of a wee bit of instruction followed by a walk around Old Sac taking photos (by the way, for THIS photographer, Old Sac is completely uninspiring). I'm not putting down the instructors. They were great, super friendly, not at all intimidating and seemed to really know their stuff. It's just that I am now keenly aware of how complicated this whole photography thing is, and hello! Two and a half hours is not NEARLY enough time to master that.

Since the class, I have practiced a bit at home, with frustrating results. I'm still trying to figure out the whole aperture/shutter speed balance, but I figure that with a little (or a lot) of practice and a few Q&A sessions with my father (the PROFESSIONAL photographer, ooh la la), I will eventually figure things out. Below is a photo taken in "M" mode. It is out of focus. And that bugs me.

I will figure it out. Right, Dad??

Day 166: Dia De Los Muertos

Also, you'd think I'd learn my lesson with this girl, leaving her alone with the paint. Alas, how can I stop her? And why would I? I fully support self-expression through the arts. Who am I to criticize a girl whose medium of choice is not paper, but her own flesh? I cannot judge. 

Plus, it FORCES me to scrub down the bathtub. And this is a good thing. Because I'm lazy.

Day 167: Couch Snuggles

Let me never take for granted these times when you are still so small and still so eager to be held in my arms. I love you so, my Elinor Rose.