Independence Day

I have understood from the moment I became a mother that part of my job description was to facilitate independence in my kids.

I have taught them how to;

walk, talk, read, play well with others, look both ways before crossing the street, never talk to strangers, save their money, put family first, never be late, never procrastinate, always do their best, laugh at themselves, always wear sunscreen, look people in the eye, voice their opinions, question authority, never ask for help when they can do it themselves, and hopefully about a million more things that will come in handy at some point in their lives.

Every independent step takes them a little farther away from me, and that's the way it should be.

Sunrise, Sunset.

As pleased as I am with these two fiercely independent kids,

There are days when I would give anything for just one more moment of this

So little, so sweet, and all mine

Dog's Night Out

One of the things I love about living in this town?

They do things like have Doggie Night.

Lots of people, lots of dogs, it's a good time. Everyone with a dog converges on downtown and all the shops stay open late and hand out dog treats.

It's fun to stroll through the stores and talk to people and see other dogs, but that's really not why we're there. We are there so people can admire our dogs. I'm not ashamed to say it, we (human and canine) love the attention.

Gwen is away at a dog show so Gavin and

Envy were the recipients of all the attention

Envy - Who was admired by all

The Lost Supper

That's it, no more, it's all over. Six years of mysteries and mythology all came down to the Series Finale. There are a lot of questions that were left unanswered, (Walt, anyone?) but the end was emotionally satisfying. When it's all over you just put the little things aside and look at the big picture and you think, that was a pretty great ride.

I never expected LOST to become part of our family lexicon, but the four of us have watched every episode together, it's part of us. Last summer we watched LOST every single day, and this year, Tuesday was LOST day, and there we were on the couch watching together and trying to figure it all out.

Obviously we couldn't let Lost go without a big sendoff, so we had a Lost Supper. The menu was island inspired (pulled pork = wild boar) and delicious. We had fun drinks, and I even made DHARMA fish biscuits. (I put DHARMA labels on just about every food item in the house, it's really funny when you open our cupboards) The whole night was fun and emotional and a great way to say goodbye.

Brace Yourself

A few months ago my dentist asked me if I was having any problems. My usual, "Everything's fine", was not the answer. The dentist took a look at my x-ray's and said,"of course you're not fine, you must be having a great deal of discomfort." The problem? My teeth are moving forward and that has pushed my jaw out of alignment and crowded all my bottom teeth. Ouch. Apparently your teeth moving forward is something that happens as you age. Yay.

The solution to my painful problem?

Braces.

Yay, again.

I was hoping the orthodontist would have some super-secret, high tech solution so that braces wouldn't be necessary. No such luck.

I did have a choice to make; traditional bracket-type braces (metal or clear) or invisible braces.

I'm 37 years old, what do you think I chose?

Invisalign braces are a series of clear aligners that you wear for 2 weeks 22 hours a day. After 2 weeks you switch to another set of aligners and slowly your teeth get straightened. They really are invisible, it's kind of miraculous. The first couple of days of each aligner are a bit uncomfortable, and having something in your mouth is really strange, but I'm told that over time you get used to it. I'm pretty sure that no matter what it's better than a grown-up walking around with a mouth full of metal.

By The Numbers

30 aligners X 2 weeks = 60 weeks

60 weeks X 7 days = 420 days

22 hours a day X 420 days = 9240 hours

(36 hours down, only 9204 to go)

Counter Culture

Finding new, delicious places to eat is an easy thing to do around here, fabulous restaurants are everywhere. Occasionally I find a place that is so perfect and so amazing that Dane falls in love with it and wants to go there all the time. His latest obsession is The Counter.

It's all about gourmet, fully customized burgers. They have a menu with about a million different options (they boast 312,120+ burger combinations) and you have to make some tough choices. Gruyere or Goat Cheese? Roasted Garlic Aioli or Ginger Soy Glaze? After you agonize over your selections you fill out the menu (Dane thought the menu was like the STAR test, he very carefully bubbled in his choices) and then you enjoy some killer french fries while they put together your masterpiece. Dane has come up with some interesting creations, (grilled chicken with BBQ sauce and hard boiled eggs?) but anything goes at The Counter.

My Chosen Profession

Here's a news flash - being a mom is hard work.

It's stressful, exhausting, frustrating, frightening, infuriating, worrisome, and there are days when it's just the most thankless job in the world.

And yet, with all that, it's still the best job in the world. Go figure.

Happy Mother's Day!

As Good As It Gets

The other day on Sabrina's blog, she shared pictures of her garden and all the tasty things she's growing. Her hard work pays off with fresh produce right at her fingertips. Since I am way too lazy to actually plant a garden, I'm lucky that the Farmer's Market is right down the street every weekend, all year long. I took a little trip down there and had a lovely time chatting with local growers and buying lots of yummy things.

Penne with Sausage and Fresh Vegetables is the result of my morning at the Farmer's Market.

It is absolutely the best thing I have ever cooked. Period. My family is still reeling from the deliciousness.

The Force Will Be With Them...Always

Happy Star Wars Day

May The Fourth Be With You

May Day Is Lei Day

In Hawaii May 1st is Lei Day

The first time we went to Hawaii we were there on Lei Day. I'd never seen, or smelled, anything more beautiful.

Lei Day is a celebration of the Hawaiian culture, but also a celebration of general friendliness and the spirit of Aloha.

Happy Lei Day!