around ojai

Some more photos from around Ojai.

Visiting our favorite horse.

This next series cracks me up. Greta was a little apprehensive about feeding the horse, so I’m trying to get her to pet him first.

After a little pep talk, she seems like she’s warming up.

She’s feeling a little more confident.

Less confident

No deal

Somehow she still insists one day she will be a horse owner. A few more Ojai photos to go from our trip to the zoo, and some black and whites from the kids’ shoot. And can’t forget Romeo’s 10 month old shoot coming up too. So much to blog, so little time.

My kids, boy are they cute

I know I’m completely partial and biased in the worst way. But my kids are a lot of fun to take photos of. And I take a whole lot of pictures of kids, let me tell you. I just love the personality and the relationship that my kids have. Without much direction from me at all. I mean I will direct them to sit maybe or stand up, but that’s usually about it. Sometimes I will throw something funny out there to get a laugh, but usually they take care of that all themselves, cracking each other up. I hope this puts a smile on your face as it did mine.

wordless wednesday- father daughter love

5 things you may not know about me

1. I made mashed potatoes for the first time in my life for a dinner party last Friday night.

2. I am truly terrible at ironing.

3. I am desperately trying to train myself to become a back sleeper. I have always slept on my side, but my shoulder is starting to complain about it.

4. Fair Isle is a weakness for me.

5. I follow Justin Bieber on Instagram- I know it’s kind of inappropriate but I really think he’s quite cute in an old lady crushin’ on young boy way.

books books books

We’ve been reading a lot over here as of late. On our nightstands have been…

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and Darth Paper Strikes Back- the boys have loved these books and have reread them both twice. It has also inspired a whole lot of origami making in this house.

I have been reading a lot, maybe because of the extra time we had in Ojai to relax, I was able to get through a few books. I finished The Giver, which my cousin had recommended for Gunnar, but I decided to read it first because of her raving reviews. Gunnar has read other Lois Lowry books before, like Number the Stars, but neither of us had heard of this one. It was great! I finished it in 2 days and can’t wait for Gunnar to read it next.

Gunnar is currently reading Six Days, but not sure how into he is since he paused reading that to read the Yoda books twice. We’ll see as he gets into it a little more.

I also finished some books from the book swap a few months ago. I read Olive Kitteridge, which was good, but kinda sad and depressing. I’m now reading another book swap book that seems light hearted at the moment, but I’m only 40 pages in, so we’ll see. It’s The Friday Night Knitting Club.

Aaron is reading several books at the same time. Never a good sign to me, and something I can’t comprehend doing. He’s reading The Irregulars, a non fiction about Roald Dahl’s life before Willy Wonka and the BFG. When he was a British spy. And he’s also reading my gift to him last month, Steve Jobs biography.

Hoping everyone is enjoying some books of their own at the moment. I love reading. I don’t know why I spent so many years without a book on my nightstand. Oh yeah, now I remember why. Their names are Gunnar, Sawyer and Greta. But alas, we can all read together now which is oh so wonderful to me.

balls

I must post a disclaimer before you read the following conversation, we don’t use vocabulary like this in our home so I am confused where he got it from. But he does attend school with 471 other children. So there, I said it.

After school it was a rare day where my car was quite light. I only had Sawyer in the backseat, and was driving a friend of his home. The friend had just checked out a book on the human body from the school library. The boys were in the backseat talking. I like to listen when they are talking to their friends, and this particular day it was quite rewarding to listen to what goes on in their brains and then what comes out of their mouths.

Friend: Look at my new library book, it’s all about the human body.

Me: Careful boys, I don’t want anyone getting carsick reading in the car.

Sawyer: We won’t. Just flip to any page, it doesn’t matter and we’ll look at the pictures!

Friend: Oh here, this is something about the digestive system I think.

Sawyer: Yeah cool! Do you where your pee comes from?

Friend: I think so. I mean I don’t know. Maybe.

Sawyer: Well when you drink water, or soda, or any liquid, it goes into your mouth and down your throat and through your body and into your balls, and then your balls squeeze it back up. That’s where your pee comes from.

Friend: Really? Whoa. Your balls squeeze it up?

Sawyer: Yeah, turn the page. Where’s the boobs?

ten

1.0. I cannot believe you are ten years old. Double digits. This is a huge milestone for you. And me. The fact that I have a child that is TEN is enough to give me heart palpitations. But let’s not make this about me. You, my love, are growing up so fast before my eyes. The moments are slipping through my finger tips. And as this happens I see it all flashing so fast before me, and I am trying so desperately to enjoy each and every moment. To savor the time that you are not taller than me, yet. Your interests amaze me daily. You are still hopelessly obsessed with football. As I sit folding laundry and watch a game with you, you like to narrate each play. Sometimes you pause and rewind to make sure I understand what just happened. You talk about their lineup and what that means. If I have a sports related question, you are the first person I go to. Your brother and your sister look up to you so much. Sawyer will begin talking out of nowhere and start with “Gunnar, Gunnar”. Even if you aren’t here. I have to tell him, “Sawyer, your brother is still at school”, or “Sawyer, he’s outside”. And I hear a sigh and an effort to find you or find out when you will return.

Books are a favorite pastime for you, and it makes me smile inside and out. When we go on vacation you make sure to bring at least 2 novels. You stay awake with the light on to finish just. one. more. chapter. In fact, we have similar tastes in books. And at the moment we are sharing books back and forth. I just read The Giver by Lois Lowry and I know you will just love it. And you finished Divergent and cannot wait for me to read it. And then we can discuss and sit and talk about the characters and the plot lines. I love this time right now. I love your age. I love how observant you are. You get stuff now that just flies over the heads of your siblings. Your sense of humor is such a gift. Your laughter an even bigger gift. I know I am in for some trouble in the next few years. I feel like I have a teenager already on my hands. Sometimes you get angry, quiet, you shut your door. Hard. You don’t want to talk about stuff until you have time to calm down. But you always come to me later and you always communicate what’s on your mind. And I will take all the anger, all the door slams, all the frustration for that to never change.

Thank goodness you have no interest in girls yet. No romantic interest I should say. You have no problem acknowledging a girl is cute or pretty. But you will have no talk of who is who’s girlfriend or boyfriend at school. And you surround yourself with good kids who are not caught up in the raging boy/girl craziness of it all. I am in your class and I see what goes on, and the giggles and the sideways glances, and I absolutely love that you could care less about it all. There will be plenty of time for that in your life. And deep down I think you realize that. That’s it’s just complicated and nonsense at the moment. And I hope that we make it through the next 5-10 years with that same outlook. I will cross all my fingers and toes, because I know the girls have noticed you. How can you not. Sweetie, you are stunning. And I don’t think confidence is going to be something you ever struggle with. But just in case you are looking back years from now and reading this, I doubt you will have an awkward phase. Correct me if I’m wrong.

You are a star student, outstanding in math and language arts. You love history at the moment. Part of me was kind of sad that you are at an age to read about all the wars and horrible things this world has experienced. But I know you are at an age and sophistication to appreciate it and see it for what it is. You are working on a report right now on World War II and it did sadden me that I couldn’t shield you somehow from the anguish of what happened, but I know it’s for your own good to read about those atrocities. I wish the world was a better place than what it is right now. I wish somehow you didn’t have to experience all that you have and all that you are going to experience. But I know that somehow it will help mold you into the amazing man that I see you becoming.

I am so very proud of you and the person you are. You are a soul that is good and kind, gentle and caring, funny and honest. I cannot wait to spend another year being your mother. Welcome to ten.

Princess Party all the way

A few weekends ago my friend Niki threw her daughter Molly a princess party. And I was extremely happy to hear that Greta decided to go as Alice, one more use for her Alice dress makes me feel less and less guilty about what my mother spent on it. The details of the party were so thought out and special. When the little girls were arriving they had a coloring table set up and then they enjoyed a sit down lunch, decorated mirrors, had a scavenger hunt and then each girl had her turn with the manicurist. Serious little girl heaven.