Camping in our Backyard

We set up the tent in our backyard and had a roast for Canada Day. The kids stayed up late and we watched the fireworks from our front porch swing, which was super neat.

We woke up to this magpie in our front yard. We get so many birds in our yard, its been a treat this year watching them.

Fashion-A-Smashion

Summer 2011

This is the list my kids came up with for their summer:

catch frogs

visit farms

pick berries

hikes in waterton

horseback riding

check out safety city in edmonton

practice swimming

research bearded dragons (they want to get one this fall but i'm scared.)

build a bunny hutch with baba

learn to crochet

 see the dinosaurs at drumheller

birds of prey museum

make freezer applesauce from Grammy's apple trees.

This is what I plan on doing this summer:

cook a human

get a killer suntan

Cupcakes and Lace

First of all a Mariah story. Scarlet loves this song and the words start out, "If I could write you a song..." anyways, she busts a move when it comes on and when she asks for it she calls it, "If-I-Ya" (the first few words blended together). She was saying "If-I-Ya" yesterday repetitively and I was subconsciously blocking her out... then I asked what is she saying? and Jacob says, "She wants Mariah." Which happens to rhyme with "If-I-Ya"

This post is dedicated to Mariah:

Feather cupcakes, very Mariah.

Kebob cupcakes. Just like the 10 Kebabs we downed at Shiraz last week with you and everyone.

Pomegranates. Very Dehghani.

Mustache cooke cutters. Mariah you need these for your baking collection.

Indian frosting for your India love.

Doily patterns! 

Tie-Dye which reminded me of the night you were here and we researched tie-dye all night and then didn't have time to rock it.

Wood liners. YES!

This reminded me of your giant heavenly cupcake you made for us.

Now for the doilies and lacy-ness:

Moments That Matter Most

Miracles Everywhere

I liked this video because I think this is sort of what's happening inside my tummy these days.


The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

Food food food

Sorry about all the food posts, its not my fault that my whole day revolves around what in the world I can find to eat that won't sick me out. The weirdest part is that most of my cravings this time are the same as last time when I was prego with Scarlet. I wish I would have recorded them so I'd know what to eat this time but I'm going to do that now.

Things I buy when I'm morning sick that I NEVER buy under normal circumstances (notice the less food-like and more plastic the better):

1. Power Bars
2. Cheese Whiz
3. Ginger Ale
4. Big Turks
5. Cream of Wheat
6. Dill pickle rice cracker minis
7. French Toast
8. Apple Jelly

Just making this list made me want to faint...

My last confession is that I secretly really want coffee. Like a latte. Where in thunder is that coming from??!! I've never even tasted coffee in my life. I stood in the coffee aisle at Extra Foods (apparently there is one, although I never noticed it before) and just looked at all the different coffee beans. Then, I proceeded to the small appliance aisle and I almost bought an expresso/foaming machine. I'm NUTS.

Marbles are lost

I went home for a week of leisure and leisure it was. My mom let me sleep in everyday and she changed ALL Scarlet's diapers too (only a momma would do this for me). Evidently when I am pregnant my persian side really comes out because all I want to eat right now, in my morning-sick-all-day-state, is my dads persian food. My family was questioning my queasiness when I requested ghormeh sabzi for dinner (not exactly your usual pregnant girl craving) but it was just what I needed.

This picture is what I woke up to for breakfast around 10:30-ish each day.

Then around 11 pm dad would put together a spread of more fruit and breads and cheese and balsamic vinegar for dipping and that kind of stuff.

More fun at Grammy's

 quading with Baba

Finding cat tails

Little family Okra tradition...

Beading with Grammy

 Falling in love with cousin Isabelle

I love how Eli and Isabelle are looking at each other. 

Jane, for some reason, wears a ninja thingy at all times. I think Mariah secretly wants one too.

A New Blog on the Block

redwonderwaffles

So far Charlie is the only one who has posted and I think he is borderline addicted already. 

Celebration

Its a miracle! Timmy commented on my blog (he doesn't use cell phones or Bookface). I feel super important right now :0)

"Every man is a creature of the age in which he lives.  Very few are able to raise themselves above the ideas of the time." 

-Voltaire

Grandmothering

I just found this post on my moms blog Sweet Yellow Bird. What a sweet Grammy.

SUNDAY, MAY 15, 2011

Grandmothering

I am going to be a grandmother for the 6th time...did I say that I love to be a grandma? I love the way these little ones smell, express themselves, and happily chat your ear off. I love the freckles across their noses, their toothless smiles, their worries, and concerns, their happy stories, and their dreams. I even love their drool, diapers, whining and crying. I love the way they spell, their poems, their animals, their tears, their sweaty cheeks, and their hugs. I love their pure faith, and their unconditional love. I love everything about them. Everything.

“I dreamed that I floated at will in the great Ether, and I saw this world floating also not far off, but diminished to the size of an apple. Then an angel took it in his hand and brought it to me and said,  “This must thou eat.” And I ate the world.”

~Emerson

What is happening to me?

Do not be fooled by the hour of this post. It's my usual late night entry but I just woke up from falling asleep at 8 pm. Never in my life. It was humiliation. I know something is really really wrong when I go to bed early and I don't feel like reading. My life is falling apart.

Just Kill Me

I know I'm going to be an even more annoying blogger because instead of rambling on about all my lamo arts and crafts,  now I feel the need to whine about being pregnant. So I think this is my second whine post so I will start with a number two.

2. Cooking a human and running on the treadmill at the same time is strikingly arduous.
3. I would love to barf, rather than feel like barfing 24 hours a day.
4. Thank you Kraft Foods for making Stoned Wheat Thins
 (aka "Magic Crackers") They taste like cardboard which is perfect for right now.
5. Is it o.k. that Timmy left a mouse trap on the counter and I called him at work to threaten him...
6. I want to record for my own future reference my peculiar food evolutions. What I've been able to choke down this last week:

It started with cereal (which we NEVER buy) after a few bowls of that I never wanted to look at cereal again. I moved on to english muffins with peanut butter and honey. Then eggs.
Then spring rolls (I NEVER eat these either). Then gummy candies. Then a burger (NEVER EVER have ordered a burger at a restaurant in my life). Then I had an angel food cake for lunch all to myself (egg whites?), hate salsa, pasta sauce, and all vegetables.

Thank you for letting me do this. That was like therapy for me.

WOMB

I've been reading these books for obvious reasons and I can't believe I haven't done this before. Holy fascination!! I have lots of quotes to share coming.

Bargain Barn is GENIUS

Did I seriously just find the entire box set of Pride and Prejudice in perfect condition at the BB for $2.
 It's too good to be true.

RANDOM

cutest mini garden ever.

We braided all of these fabric strips to make wrap bracelets, necklaces, and Charlie uses his for a belt. This activity taught Charlie how to braid and now he's a pro.

banana bread bonding

Timmy is getting really good at picking out clothes for me. He found this skirt on 

Etsy and got it for my birthday. 

She's showing us her eyeshadow.

Jane left us this masterpiece. I love all the buttons she drew at the bottom and how she taped one on.

Jane is cute about thanking us for things. This one was a thank you for a fun Easter. 

Best peeps drawer ever.

I looked out the kitchen window and caught this strange meeting. An indian and a dinosaur and Charlie, talking about life. I continued to watch them playing and snapped these next few shots.

Don't ask me why Jacob woke up this morning and thought, I'm going to get in my dinosaur costume and run around the yard...

( I want to note some things about Jacob here. I'm not sure if I ever recorded that he learned to ride his bike on Sept. 4th 2010. He was only 3 years old. Another thing is his recent sleep talking. I overheard him mumbling this in his sleep:

"I want my summer... I want my summer."

Speaking of sleep talking, I heard Tim say this in his sleep the other night:

"Willow, that's what he named her isn't it?" 

Weird!)

same goes for this little indian princess.