In a Cast

Chickabidee fell off a zipline and broke her arm this summer. Radius and ulna, clean break. I was right there, standing beside her when she fell to the ground, watching her arm snap, holding her with all my might as she crumbled in sobs of pain. We got her to the ER within 20 minutes, x-rayed and arm set in a hard cast within 2 hours of the break. No running, no jumping, no swimming, while the cast is on.  I know husby is right about keeping things in perspective, that kids get hurt, kids heal. But as a mom, my magical thinking that "as long as I am present, watching, I can somehow protect our chickabidees from harm" was shattered...

So here are a few things that we've found a chickabidee CAN do with a broken arm: hula hoop, draw, write, paint, read, go on walks, picnic, blow bubbles, peer at the summer night sky through a telescope... Any suggestions welcome!

Getting There and Back IS The Fun

When google maps tells me a family roadtrip is going to take 2 hours, I mentally add another 2.5 hours. And that's just on-the-road time.  Actually getting out of the house and on the road for a trip that lasts for more than 2 nights with the chickabidees is, well, as husby once remarked, "We're a thundering herd of snails!"
So that's to say I've learned to relax a little about "getting there," and try to make the  journey to and from as much a part of the vacation as the destination itself. To that end, for our weeklong trip to the Carmel coast, Em and I made a nifty berry picking pack---actually, it was for the the u-pick berry farm stop on the return trip home at the end of vacation. How funny it felt to be planning so far in advance! We took a standard milk carton, covered it in leftover shelf paper (the sticky kind), tacky glued on burlap strips for straps.  We first saw the idea for this here.

Measure, Cut

Peel...

Stick

Add straps

Voila~Heading Home From Vacation !

After a leisurely amount of time picking berries on the way home, there were enough berries to make a dozen jars of jam when we got home. 

All in all a delicious way to end a trip!

Super Moon, Super Fun

It's been awhile since the last post because of course the end of summertime with the chickabidees is busy busy! I've really missed writing and posting, so here's one:

Super Moon Over Water

Extra Super Jumbo Moon Sighting!  This past weekend was jam-packed with fun get-togethers and it was nice to end it with a mellow moonlight stroll along the water near Grandpa's boat. The chickabidees were thoroughly wow'd by the beauty of the moon reflected on the water, with even the littlest one pointing from her stroller earnestly chanting: "boon, boon, boon!" (Yes, she was up waaay past bedtime, B+ parenting...) We walked happily in the peaceful stillness of the moonlight, a great reason to be together outside at night. I shared some moon facts, which Em gobbled up, and made plans for the next colossal full moon. There's another super moon on September 9~ some ideas to make the super moon super fun: make moon pies, watch Wallace & Gromit in a Grand Day Out, make a phases of the moon with cookies craft, or just get out there!

Good Sunscreen, Bad Sunscreen

"Why is it that all the new sunscreen I purchase every year ends up on the 'bad-list?" lamented a friend who lives in the desert sun with her family. It's a bummer, when you see one of those lists, the ones that list the very products you so carefully selected for the kids and for the family, as a potential health hazard. While I figure my own body is a pool of toxins by now, I do try really really hard to do what is possible to minimize what our chickabidees are exposed to...Food storage in glass containers? Check. Stick to organic and grassfed? Check. Steer clear of BPA in plastics? Check...  Here is one invaluable resource I found that helps this mama keep things in check:Environmental Working Group 2104 Sunscreen Guide.
Oh, and here is the "bad" sunscreen list: Spray Sunscreen

Pink Coconut Water

I want coconut water to taste the way coconut lotion smells, coconutty, something like a fresh macaroon in liquid form.  So I keep trying different brands, in cartons, in bottles, in cans. Every one has disappointed, tasting more like old gym socks, or like the inside of an aseptic box. Until I tasted this one:

Notice the pinkish hue at the bottom? (not at the top because I gulped it!) According to the label, some bottles of this brand of water are pink because some coconuts contain naturally pink water(!). This is by far the yummiest I have tasted to date-and no additives, it's just plain raw water.  And no, I'm not being paid in any way to share this tasty drink with you!

Girls Getaway?

The crew minus three

It's a total misnomer-we know it, because all eight of our chickabidees, all aged seven and under are included in this "getaway." And despite the inevitable pure chaos that ensues over the course of the getaway, the four of us mamas eagerly look forward to our cherished time together twice a year. All current or former lawyers, with many decades of friendship between us (some met at age five, and there's also a set of sisters), we share our best and worst moments as mamas, as wives, as women. At a getaway several years ago, one of the mamas decreed that B+ parenting was perfectly acceptable. And ever since, invoking "B+ parenting!" is a gentle reminder that there's no such thing as perfect parenting.

As our group grows we've had to be creative and flexible on the actual getaway location. Last weekend we were at Cavallo Point- we'd all stayed there numerous times and it's proximity to the Bay Area Discovery Museum made it ideal for the chickabidees.  Alas, after one night, we discovered that it was no longer an ideal spot-so with some fast last minute rallying, we moved the whole shebang to a perfect spot in San Francisco! Crazy? Yes.  Crazy chaotic? Uh, yes. Super exciting and fun for the chickabidees? Oh yes!

Happy Independence Day!

Our older chickabidee attended Girl Scout Camp this past month where she learned the traditions of handling the flag and participated in the proper raising and lowering of it.  I was surprised at how thrilled she was with this new experience.  It also generated this question a few days post camp as she was recounting what she had learned: "Why is there always a war somewhere in the world?" She directed the question squarely at her grandpa, which meant I had time to scramble around in my brain to come up with an answer that might suffice. Without missing a beat, I heard her grandpa gently tell her: "It is often because people have different opinions.  Now you'd think, people would be reasonable and be able to talk, and discuss any differences of opinion.  But instead, people argue, and fight over the differences..." This answer was met with her solemn nodding of understanding. I was off the hook on this one, for now... Whatever your beliefs and opinions, may you enjoy this holiday weekend~!

Back to Center

After a hair-on-fire day of mid week household to-dos and chasing my two chickabidees around the local farmer's market, this mama cleaned herself up and headed into San Francisco for a rare night out.  A goodbye gathering at Absinthe in Hayes Valley for a dear colleague and friend.

Lovely food, drinks, and stories and within 2 short hours I was transported back to a former self---a calmer, more relaxed self, fire in hair completely doused.

I Believe That We Will Win

Walked out of my office at lunchtime to head to a meeting and walked right smack into a giant colorful crowd gathered to watch U.S. vs. Belgium on the jumbo screen in front of City Hall.  The positive surge of energy was palpable, and the throngs of people seemed genuinely in a happy groove.  An amazing diverse group, unified over a common interest at least for the few hours of a game on a sunny summer day, now that's sure a win. Whether you have a mere passing interest in World Cup or are a big fan, check out these kids do the best USA Chant.

Happy Is As Happy Does...

flickr photo by mindluge

Thought I'd share a little something sent to me by my little sister- so perfect for the middle of the week. 64 Awesome Facts that Will Make You Feel Incredibly Happy made the "hump" in hump-day easier to get over.  It's the super-sized version of a similar list that went around some time ago. Flamboyance? Prickle? I shared most of the animal facts on the list with Em who laughed with delight-she's a big fan of quirky words and animal facts so this was right up her alley. 

Summer In Santa Cruz

Every summer we spend a week at the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz, CA. And this year it was our first trip of the summer, beginning even before school officially let out ( see prior post). It's not too far of a drive from home, and seems to have the right combo of sun, fun, sand & surf for the whole family.  In between the fun of the boardwalk and beach there are those fleeting quiet moments at twilight on the patio I relish...

Some of our favorite to-dos during the week: walking out to Stegnaro's on the Wharf for dinner (sand dabs are oh so fresh and delish), then picking up a little something sweet from Marini's to nibble as we visit with the barking resident sea lions on our stroll back to the hotel;  A full day out at the Boardwalk, fortified with tasty and healthy eats from The Picnic Basket, which is a good antidote to the deep frieds and sweetie sweets that beckon between the exciting rides and games; and of course lots of time together out on the beach and in the pool.

It's not a very far away getaway, but it is very effective. It's nice to know you don't always have to travel far in order to come home happy, relaxed, and with a few more happy memories to add to the summer memory bank.

Celebrate the Sun

We love to celebrate, whether its big look-forward-to-all-year-long days like birthdays and Halloween or smaller lesser known days like summer solstice or National Banana Split Day. Spending time together, having fun, good eats, good times... This weekend we spent time together enjoying the longest day of the year with a late afternoon mini hike along the bay.  It also involved gathering little bits of nature for our solstice project:

Em was particularly thrilled with finding the teeny crab leg.  We got to work arranging the treasures on the sun photo paper:

Two minutes outside, and the sun takes the photo onto the paper for us:

The magic of the paper inspired all sorts of creative arrangements:

Punched some holes, wove some ribbon, and we had ourselves a fine summer sun photo banner to hang in the tree.  This was a super easy and fun project, we hope to do it again next year.

Get the Sun Photo Paper here.

Happy Summer Solstice!

While today is the first official day of summer, around our home, summer seems to start the moment school lets out.  Which means this year it began prematurely because in a classic B+ parenting moment, I somehow got the last day of school wrong. Completely wrong. By 3 whole days wrong.  This wouldn't have been a big dealio except we booked a week vacation months ago based on my harried-working-mom-sleep-deprived brain misfire.  So much to my second grader's delight, we went ahead and began summer "early..."