everything sam, arla & kate

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-09T20:37:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2011 @ Cascade Lake :
November 24th, noon (dinner @ 1pm)

Comments does not seem to be working here; just email me updates (kateclong@gmail.com) and I'll keep a running menu for all to view. Yum yum.

I posted the meeting time for noon...but we can eat at anytime. I think we'll arrive early to stake-out the shelter, make a fire, and decorate.

Menu items include:
Ginger Martinis (Kate)
Turkey, fried (Chris)
Turkey, roasted (Sarah)
Turkey, fried (Brunner-Gaydos)
Potato, Beet, Yam chips (Chris)
Savory starter snack (Lyle Thompson)
Stuffing (Beth)
Suffing (Kobayashi)
Squash soup w/bread (Kobayashi)
Large & Hearty Salad (Kobayashi)
Mashed potatoes (Stoltz-Kau)
Mashed potatoes (Lyle Thompson)
Baked Yams (Yuko)
Spinach gratin (Anita)
Brussel sprouts (Stoltz-Kau)
Cranberry sauce (Stoltz-Kau)
Beet salad (Stoltz-Kau)
Cheesecake (Kate)
Pumpkin pie (Stoltz-Kau)
Pecan pie (Lyle Thompson)
Caramel Bread pudding (Kobayashi)
Hot Buttered Rum (Kobayashi)
Drinks (kid and adult) (Stoltz-Kau)

So far, here's who is coming:

10-Long-Sutton clan: Kate, Chris, Arla, Sam, Beth, Grama Margy, Aunt Anita, Uncle John, Grandpa Ed & Carol
6- Lyle-Thompson clan: Sarah, Steve, Dylan, Halle, Gabe, Camryn
6- Stoltz-Kau clan: Susan, David, Wylie, Millie, Ronan, Aunt Anne
4- Jones clan: Deb, Prescott, Logan, Caulder
7- Kobayashi-Cunningham clan: Adina, Jon, Sophia, Josh, Sachi, Grandma Yuko & Cousin Ken
8-Brunner-Gaydos clan

sam and august

2009-02-07T12:03:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet

Sam and August are having a great time together.

Inauguration 2009

2009-01-25T07:17:00.000-08:00

Arla, Chris & Kate attended the inauguration of our 44th president, Barack Obama (Sam stayed with his Orcas grandparents, Carol & Ed Sutton--thank you)! It was a spectacular trip, and I've detailed it below for those who are interested in reading on.

Our photos are on flickr site here: http://flickr.com/photos/79586203@N00/sets/72157612971349654/

An amazing zoom-able photo of event is on David Bergman's Gigapan: http://www.gigapan.org/viewGigapan.php?id=15374

Here's the story of our trip:
On Sunday, January 18 we rose early and headed for the red-eye boat off of Orcas; our flight from SeaTac was at 2pm. We traveled through Denver to Baltimore and met Grama Margy at an airport hotel, arriving Baltimore at 1 am. (Margy was smart enough to get a second room when she discovered there was just one king bed in the room I reserved.)

Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. day and we started the day with a shuttle bus from the hotel to the MARC train, where we boarded a train to DC. The train was PACKED with happy tourists and in our car was a college group scheduled to be in the Inaugural parade; they were a mariachi band. Another tourist was randomly video taping her seatmates on the bus, asking where they were from, etc. The spirit was of excitement.

We arrived at DC's Union Station and walked in front (in back?) of the US Capitol to the Cannon Office Building, where we found long lines getting past security into the office buildings. We were there to pick up two tickets from Representative Rick Larson's Office. Once inside, Margy sought out her Representative's office optimistic that she would get two more tickest; Arla found a pink doughnut at the Congressman's reception; and we picked up our tickets and a few photos.

Next we headed out onto the National Mall to check out the scene. Much was still being done to set up, and there were people everywhere! We found were our two seats would be in the "grey section" and learned that it was a standing area (no seats) and quite a ways back. I think it was at this point that we decided we probably would not use our tickets (and split up) but instead join the crowds further back on the Mall and watch on the jumboton monitors.

We walked the Mall and phoned friends Erika, Clayton and Miles, who were visiting from Brooklyn NY and met them at the carousel. I had forgotten about the carousel on the Mall, but it was a welcome site for Miles & Arla! Next we made a lunch plan and headed to the National American History Museum and visited their cafe.

After a nice lunch with our friends, we said goodbye in hopes for seeing them again on Inauguration Day, should it be logistically feasible.

Arla had been most interested in visiting the Vietnam Memorial Wall when we told her about our trip to DC. I was impressed that she even knew about the Wall; a book that she read in kindergarten made a great impression. We headed to the Wall and walked the memorial with many others who were visiting. Arla tried the paper and pencil-brushing technique she had learned about and we talked about what all the names represented.

Tired, we headed to the Metro and out to Grama Margy's friends' house in Chevy Chase for some much needed rest. Thank you to Margie Ewing for the great hospitality!

Tuesday morning we drove into DC with another friend of Margie's staying with us in Chevy Chase! Bill said he was going to brave the roads and offered us a ride if we wanted one. We left the house at 8am and found less traffic than could have ever been imagined! We zoomed past Embassy Row and the Obama's new school, Sidwell Friends, before Bill dropped us off in his black Mercedes Benz about four blocks from the Mall! Wow, what a treat.

We headed down the Mall looking for a spot to park ourselves. We were very close to the Washington Monument, and tried to work our way closer but was turned away when they closed off the area just in front of us. So we stayed put at 9:00am about 30 feet in front of the Washington Monument, center of the Mall. It was cold, and Arla and Margy did a good job entertaining each other. We chatted with those around us, and swapped hand-warmers for inside our mittens. We were there for about three hours, until just after Obama's speech. I was moved and proud and happy to witness it all, and even more excited to have Arla and mom with us. I was also glad that we were together and had decided to forgo our tickets up front.

After the inaugural address, we said goodbye to Grama and Arla, Chris and I followed the masses to the south, heading for the L'enfant Plaza Metro station. This was the only time I felt the crowd was pushing and things might get dicey. But people were friendly, helping each other to stay together with their family or hop over a short wall, etc. It was impressive to see so many people be nice to each other! This was the time, too, when I was happy for Arla's "tatoo" on her arm--our cell number written in sharpie pen.

After waiting in a line (which was more like a mob of people) without any movement, we left. Arla was cold and hungry and starting to melt down, so we ducked into a fire station where all of the firefighters were outside giving directions, advice, etc. We warmed Arla's feet and gave her something to eat and felt rejuvenated to find an alternative. We thought about trying to get to Union Station, but instead decided to head further south to the Waterfront, SEU Metro station. It was wild that the streets were still packed with people, many of them looking for their charter bus (unsuccessfully) but even more heading to the same Metro station. Options were limited because many streets were closed off for the parade and we learned later some Metro stations had to be closed for over-crowding.

We arrived at the Waterfrong Metro station to find the line snaked around a Safeway grocery store parking lot. Chris sat in line while Arla and I went inside the store for snacks. There were people everywhere in the grocery store, many sitting in the isles eating, or reading. The store was trashed, but again people were in fairly good humor and polite. After 45 min. in the check-out line we left the store and found the Metro line was moving! But yet Chris was in nearly the same place we left him--because he was in the line waiting for the elevator not the escalator! We grabbed Chris and went down the escalator to wait for the green line.

We rode the Metro to the end of the line, then found yet another line for our Number 30 bus to BWI Airport and our shuttle to our hotel. All in all it took six hours to get to our destination. We were exhausted but happy to have had the experience and to have so many good stories to tell about it.

Wednesday we started our day at 5am with a shuttle to BWI airport for our three flights home: BWI to Charlotte, NC to San Francisco to SeaTac. Chris and Arla fetched the car while I registered for our lost luggage (!) and we made a run for the Anacortes ferry, arriving home around 10 pm west coast time. Arla was a star traveler through it all.

merry christmas!

2008-12-26T18:24:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet

Here Arla & Sam are wearing their new crowns made by friends Stacey & August. Sam is also wearing new mittens made by Grama Margy. Grandpa Ed & Carol braved our steep, snow-packed road to open presents and eat brunch with us. We had a great day despite all the crazy winter weather here!

snowman

2008-12-20T13:31:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet

Chris, Arla, and Sam made this beautiful snowman about a week ago. I don't recall a snowman sticking around for more than 2-3 days in the 15 years I have lived in the Pacific Northwest, but we certainly have the cold weather to sustain this frosty snowman! It was 7 degrees when we went to bed last night and the bathroom pipes are frozen. (Chris seems not to be so worried about this, however, because of the type of piping used...I hope he is right!).

6-8 inches are predicted over the next 24 hours. Stay tuned...you may see more snow people here!

no teeth

2008-11-06T11:54:00.001-08:00

Alra lost another tooth this morning. That's number six with only two big ones coming in to replace. The poor girl eats soup and pudding!

We are considering a trip with Arla to the inauguration of president-elect Barack Obama. As Grandpa Ed suggests, logistics will be the key. But I think it is an experience of a lifetime and one that Arla (and Chris and I) will always remember. We'll see if the stars are in alignment....

snow geese returned

2008-11-04T21:39:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet

It must be winter; the snow geese have returned to Skagit Valley.

We had a fun Halloween with our pumpkin (Sam) and kitty wearing a tutu (Arla). The evening was fun, but I need help since I've been gobbling up the candy ever since!

Ask me how the new nordic track is helping with this....

uncle ted, sam, grama margy

2008-08-17T21:02:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet

A fun time was had by all in Hessel, Michigan for a week's vacation.

full use of deck

2008-08-04T14:27:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

We have been getting full use of the deck at our new place, as shone here with Sam and Arla both standing on Chris. At one point I think the dogs were in there too. We are loving the house, and introduced many of our neighbors to it too this weekend when they came for our Annual Road Meeting/Potluck. Everyone seemed happy to check the place out.

We also had a great visit with Erika, Clayton, and Miles--although the weather was TERRIBLE when they were here (rain and chilly). Having said this, the kids were on the deck biking and scootering and having fun. Thanks for coming so far to see us!

seattle with friends

2008-06-15T09:51:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

This past weekend we all went to Seattle for a quick trip...but of course squeezed in a lot of fun! We stayed with good friends Anna, Lauren, Kim and John, who hosted our whole big family in a sleep-over. I attended TC's graduation on Saturday morning, while the kids all went to Wallingford Park.(that's not us in the photo).

In the afternoon we went to Seattle Center (photo above) where there was lots of fun stuff to entice the kids, but our main focus was a production of Richard Scarey's Busytown. After the show we headed north and visited Great grama Jeanne in LaConner for dinner with her. It was great fun for all, but as you can imagine we had some tired kiddos by the end of a long Saturday.

Thank you Kim, John, Anna & Lauren for a great trip!

sam's dirt box

2008-06-10T09:35:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

Because we have so many rocks, Chris built me some raised beds just outside the kitchen windows and I've been sifting dirt with a screen and hope to have some veggies and herbs here in an organized fashion. The long skinny one at the back has four blueberry bushes, so we'll need netting not only for the deer but also for the birds.

At this time, one box Sam has claimed as his own "dirt box" (sort of like a sand box, but much dirtier). I brought back two big bags of coffee grounds from Starbucks to mix into the soil, and Sam helped with that task right away. Here he is organizing his trucks under the sifting screen. He also really likes the feel of the dirt in his toes, so no matter how warm or cold it is, he usually is shoe-less. Needless to say, we've been having bath every night these days.

hummingbirds

2008-05-17T18:37:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

Summer is here! It was a hot day and we all worked and played outdoors all day. Mom visited for nearly 10 days and bought us this hummingbird feeder as a house warming present and the hummingbirds go crazy over it. We left the windows open near the feeder and had five hummingbirds in the house by the end of the day! Poor birds.

Let's hope summer weather sticks around.

spring or winter?

2008-03-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

It is nearly April and snowing outside! All of the daffodils are up and we have been busy digging rocks in our "yard" and anxiously awaiting warmer weather and sunny days. We get a few here and there...and now snow. I can imagine this in Northern Michigan...but here? Soon enough.

Arla lost her two bottom teeth and the tooth fairy was kind to her. She was especially worried about her first since she swallowed it in her ravioli dinner! But she wrote a note to the tooth fairy and she came though for her.

Sam pretty much only wants to play outside. In the mud. Or in the mini ponds Chris has created in our yard. He unearths more and more of "the rock" only to create larger piles of dirt. It has great potential, but is a bit of a mess right now. Sam loves it. He needs a pair of waders, but he loves it.

joshua tree np

2008-02-25T22:12:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

Loved it! Have to return someday and camp.

eagles

2008-02-06T21:12:00.000-08:00

On my weekly trips to Seattle I travel through the Skagit Valley which is beautiful farmland full of tulips in the spring and crops in the summer. I’ve learned that in the winter months it is full of bald eagles! Some weeks I count more than 10 or 12 that I can see from the road, driving. They are HUGE birds and perch in high deciduous trees to hunt, I think. Often I’ll see two eagles in one tree, which led me to suspect that they mate for life…and sure enough they do! Read lots more interesting information on bald eagles.

full moon

2008-01-23T22:02:00.000-08:00

There has been a big, beautiful full moon the last few nights and the weather has been so clear and crisp that it shines through our windows like a huge spotlight. It shines through our bedroom windows when we go to bed, and has moved to the kitchen windows by the time we get up in the morning. Yesterday I got up early and walked the dogs down to the mailboxes (1.5 miles) in just the moonlight; it was gorgeous!

chris's birthday present

2008-01-05T08:58:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

An excavator for a day!

decorating our tree

2008-01-04T08:22:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

This tree was from our property. It is a bit of a Charlie Brown tree, but we love it!

girls' toes

2007-12-22T20:49:00.001-08:00

November 2007 006
Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

I can hardly believe it, but for a birthday present Arla and her two friends Anna & Hannah had their toes done at a parlor in Seattle that has kids packages. They had a blast, although Arla looked a bit apprehensive wen the woman started scrubbing her feet. She got over that when she saw the shades of pink polish!

nap

2007-12-16T22:44:00.001-08:00

Sam and I took a 2+ hour nap today. Ahhh it was great! I don't remember the last time I had a nap.

We also had friends over and decorated cookies all morning together. Friday night I went out with some new friends for a "Mommies Christmas Party" in downtown Eastsound. And this week we'll have our weekly Thursday dinner with friends. Life is busy...and good!

sunny thanksgiving

2007-11-29T09:24:00.000-08:00

We had a sunny week of Thanksgiving weather and took full advantage by hiking a new-to-me trail on Turtleback mountain with Anita and Margy. The scene from the viewpoint was spectacular! The lunch we treated ourselves to afterward was spectacular too :)

We entertained 15 people for dinner on Thursday and the new house accommodated everyone quite well. It was fun to have the party at our house and share the new space and views with our friends and family.

We’ve had an especially good visit with Margy, who arrived the Sunday before Thanksgiving and stayed for two weeks. Sam calls for her each morning when he wakes up now and wants her to fetch him from his crib. She’s been working with Arla on reading, she went to school with me to volunteer both Mondays, and she has been a big help around the house. We will all be sad to say goodbye on Friday.

Because Margy's flight from SeaTac is early Saturday morning she will fly to Seattle from Orcas on one of the small planes Chris has been commuting on; hopefully the weather will be good and mom will get a great view!

pooh & the pumpkin

2007-11-14T21:15:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

I love the cowboy boots!

red sox nation: orcas chapter

2007-11-14T21:12:00.001-08:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

wind storm

2007-11-12T13:25:00.000-08:00

We had a big wind storm last night and this morning--gusts were supposedly up to 50/60 mph! The wind seemed to whip right up the "tunnel" that is our hill, which the house sits on top of. The trees were bending over, and a couple of small ones came down. Otherwise not much damage...and now the sun is out! Wild.

Ahhh, island living.

fall back

2007-11-07T20:35:00.000-08:00

After a couple of beautiful weekends, we are back to normal Pacific Northwest weather, so it seems. Last weekend was gorgeous—sunny and mild both days—and we spent much of the time in our “yard” taming the wilds and planting daffodil bulbs in the rocky soil so there will be some spring cheer. It has been interesting to see how the morning, day, and afternoon light hits the property. I’m anxious to plant more, but have already had the dear munch down some potted plants we brought from Seattle, so we’ll have to work on the fence first.

Arla’s been rolling along at school, and this week while I was volunteering in her classroom I got to hear the teacher do an assessment of her. She had to sort money, create patterns, and talk about greater than and less than. It was fun to see her in action and so serious about the teacher’s questions. I talked to her teacher a bit after school and learned the individual assessments are threefold—to document info for the all day kindergarten, which is new of the Orcas Public School system, to provide info for Washington State benchmarks, and to help the teacher track which students are mastering what. It is amazing how the kids give each other the answers! Arla is very close to reading for herself, and very focused on sounding words out. Arla’s teacher and I agree that her preschooling gives her an advantage over many of her classmates.

Sam seems to have just realized that the “Terrible Twos” are here and has been bonking Arla randomly and generally testing the boundaries around him. We’ve been giving him mini time-outs in his crib…but need to figure out exactly what will work for him.

I’ve had some good visits to Seattle for work and have been catching up with friends while there. Work is busy and I am not able to get as much done as I’d like—largely because I need to be more disciplined about working at home when the time permits. After a meeting today I realized I really need to wrap up a few projects because there are more big ones coming soon!

Chris has been organizing the garage and is anxious to use his tools for many, many projects, including a new dining room table made from wood milled from our trees. There just isn’t enough time for everything! We are looking forward to Grama Margy’s visit for more reasons that one :)

sam's two; one for good luck

2007-10-30T09:43:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

So it seems that "one candle for good luck" is an east coast tradition. Everyone at Sam's birthday party was confused by three candles on his cake. We had fun nonetheless, and enjoyed a visit by Bosco the Clown who made an appearance after a very long hiatus, I understand.

sam's birthday

2007-10-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

Sam turned two on Monday! We are having a party for him over the weekend and will celebrate properly then. Like last year, we'll carve pumpkins and have lunch and cake. If everyone shows up there will be eight adults and eight kids five and under!

The weather has been gorgeous. We saw the sun rise up over the mountains this morning as I walked the dogs and drove Arla down the hill to catch the bus. The moon is huge and almost full and very bright at night. Arla recites "Star Light, Star Bright" as grama Margy taught her in Hessel one year morning and night.

Tonight we will go to a harvest festival at Camp Orkila, the popular YMCA camp on the island. I have never been there, but it is supposed to be impressive. There will be hay rides, cider pressing, pumpkin carving and lots of other fun stuff. Hopefully the weather will hold through Halloween!

Speaking of Halloween, I've heard from several people that the main grocery store on campus, Island Market, does a spectacular job of decorating for the holiday...especially the meat department. I can't wait to see it!

big bed

2007-10-21T08:29:00.001-07:00

This morning Arla and I were up before Sam and Chris. I heard Sam stirring and went into his room to find Sam and his daddy in Arla's bed together reading a book. Do you think that means he wants a big bed?

wet weekend

2007-10-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

It was a wet and blustery weekend here, but we managed to fit in some fun activities:

Roller-skating Friday night at the school gym (Arla and Chris skated, I chased Sam)
Soccer game Saturday morning (Arla played)
Story hour at the library
Orcas Football game (they lost again...thankfully we left early)
Brunch with friends Sunday morning

I also planted some Salal in our "yard" which is really the area that was plowed over when we built the house. It is native plant and hopefully its tender little leaves will not get munched by the deer. We need a fence....we need a lot of things!

cable kate

2007-10-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

The house is starting to come together. We have towel bars, finished floors, and cable tv! The cable is my favorite of course, but makes me feel decadent because it is that kind where you can record while you watch something else and skip commercials, etc. The downside is that they had to put a big dish on the side of our house.

a week in september

2007-09-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

Arla had a good week at school and both Chris and I had successful trips to Seattle for work (Chris flew and I drove, stopping at Costco to stock-up). Sam too had a good week at his preschool. I was able to volunteer in the kindergarten classroom on Monday morning, which was good because I put together some of the info Arla had provided by seeing her in action with her classmates.

Our friend Stephen Vick and his buddy visited for dinner last night, and it was fun to show off the house and have them enjoy it too. They were set up at the state park for camping, but welcomed the shower opportunity and both used the green-tiled shower with the view! We don't yet have a guest bed set up, but are working on that so we can soon entertain over-nighters.

Chris is working today on staining the concrete floors. The plan was to do it in August right when he moved up here, but when they pulled up the cardboard and plastic from the floors it was clear that they weren't completely dry. So he put off the staining until now. It is a little more complicated now that all of the baseboard trim is on and we have moved in...but he is getting the process down.

Arla had her first soccer game on Saturday morning, after two weeks of practices. The Orcas Recreation Program offers a fairly extensive soccer program in the fall and there are lots of kids playing soccer on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays now through Halloween. I'm sure that is part of the reason that Orcas High School fielded its first Girls Soccer Team this year (previously they played with the boys). Go soccer!

kindergarten

2007-09-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

Arla was off to her first day of kindergarten yesterday and mostly excited about the bus. She woke up at 4:30 am and came into our room to say she didn't want to miss the bus! I helped her get back to sleep, but at 6:30 she was up again and ready to go. We all went down to the end of the road where the #4 bus picked her up at 7:30. She was the first kid on the bus and has about a 45 min. ride each way. I waved good bye and she didn't even look back when she headed off.

I have to take Sam to town for school at 9am each day and popped in to see if Arla actually had made it to school...and sure enough she was in her classroom listening to a book at 9:15 when I looked in. She waved to me and blew me a kiss and then went about her business.

There are 13 children in Arla's class and she has the new teacher, Larena, since at the last minute there was a second kindergarten class added. MTThF's she is in school 8:30-3 and on Wednesdays from 8:30-1. The school is like a campus with two gyms, library, and cafeteria separating the elementary school and the middle/high school. (When Chris went there there was just the elementary school--downstairs was k-6 and upstairs was 7-17).

Arla can eat breakfast and lunch at school if she likes. She's been taking her lunch, but tomorrow will try the hot lunch. They have a morning and afternoon snack in her room and they go to gym, library, and music once or twice a week, in addition to lots of playground time. I plan to volunteer in the classroom every Monday morning.

Thankfully, I was the only one who cried when Arla boarded the bus her first day. Tomorrow Arla says she wants to ride to and from school. She really loves the bus!

settling in over labor day weekend

2007-09-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend, full with a night out to see a movie and a dinner entertaining our friends Alyson, Andrew, and Will at out new house! We spent much of the day on Saturday bringing in boxes and unpacking and looking for items that seem to have been gone for a long time. Arla and Sam were excited about their toys, which seem to have multiplied while in storage. Since they are still sleeping together in the same room, we unpacked all of the toys into Sam's room and it looks like an explosion! They have been having fun re-discovering everything.

Chris schlepped most of the boxes up from the garage while I unpacked and looked for a space for the belongings. The kitchen still has some open shelves like in our old house, but they are not finished yet and so we weren't able to put everything in its place there, yet. There will also be shelves/cubbies in the laundry/kids bath that haven't been completed, so that stuff is still in a box. But for the most part we have lots of our clothes back, and a very functional kitchen.

Chris had fun spreading gravel into a path that leads to the front door/bridge. It has helped to define things outside, too, which seems to be a bit overwhelming in terms of landscaping. I cleaned some brush out today which opened things up. We hope to have a small vegetable garden (after we get a fence so the deer won't munch it down) and some decorative plants, but for the most part want the outside to be natural and low maintenance. It is so exciting to think about!

Chris goes to Seattle tomorrow (Tuesday) since today was a holiday. Arla's school has an open house tomorrow, plus she starts soccer practice. Then the first day of kindergarten on Wednesday! Wow. Sam still goes with the flow.

still waiting for the house to be finished

2007-08-29T21:19:00.001-07:00

So, it has been two weeks since we moved to Orcas...however we have only slept at the house four nights. The rest of the time we've been at Michele's. It became clear pretty early on that it would be too difficult for us to get up and out of the house by 8am every morning when the workers arrived. So we got out of their way. Now we REALLY wat to move in.

This weekend? We'll see....

off to work

2007-08-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

I am in the ferry line trying to get online so I can do some work. Tomorrow will be the beginning of my new work schedule where I'm in Seattle and in the office every Wednesday. I might have to adjust a little depending on the ferry and traffic schedules.

It has taken me over an hour to figure out how to pay and get on the Orcas 'hotspot' internet connection. The guy in front of me has cleaned the entire inside of his minivan. I just realized it is the first time I've been in line for the ferry all by myself. It certainly won't be the last!

first morning

2007-08-19T20:50:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

We now live on Orcas Island! We slept in the house for the first time on Friday night and it was a bit of an adventure--but fun for all. The kids slept great; I heard some strange noises in the night and was worried about the transition; Chris snored. This photo was taken in the morning -- the kids had a great time playing on the deck in their pajamas. It is all still a little unreal!

on orcas

2007-08-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

The big move yesterday went as well as a move can go. Chris's brother Scott and his girlfriend helped us load all of the boxes into the truck and we headed north for the 2:30 ferry. I had to pick up the kids from school, so the three of us were a little behind Chris in the truck. It was sad and comforting to see Arla and Sam hug their teachers and friends good bye. Sam knows something is up, and is nervous; Arla takes it all in stride.

Because we were behind Chris we didn't get on the same boat but were able to see him briefly in line. Arla went with him in the truck while Sam and I waited for the next boat at 5:35. Too bad we couldn't all be together, but it worked out since they had to unload the truck ASAP so it could be returned.

We spent the night at Michele's place with Scott and Juana and this morning were busy picking up the dogs, visiting Sam's new daycare, Children's House (where Chris and Scott also went) and then the public school to make sure paperwork was in order, etc. Chris returned the truck and now is in the garage "working" for ifloor and hopefully continuing to crack the whip on the house. It is looking GREAT...but still has a ways to go before it is done. We hope to sleep (aka camp) there starting Friday night.

the big move has begun

2007-08-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

Chris moved to Orcas today. He will telecommute for ifloor during the days and work, work, work on the house nights and weekend....so that when Arla, Sam and I show up next Wednesday it will be that much closer to being done! Cross your fingers.

Arla attends zoo camp this week with her good friend Greta. She is exited and a little nervous, I think. It will be a good trial for kindergarten, I think. Sam and I are on the same schedule for one more week.

We had an action-packed weekend starting with a party at Dawn's house Friday night with four couples and eight kids attending--it was crazy and very fun! Saturday we spent the day traveling to and from, and enjoying Emma & Jeremy's wedding at the Olympic Park Institute. We had toyed with the idea of staying overnight in one of the cabins, but with all of our upcoming changes we decided to make it a day trip. It was a gorgeous spot and a very beautiful wedding--and Arla was so sad to learn that we weren't staying in the bunk-beds. We had to promise that we'd stay longer at the next wedding. Whose will it be?

101 simple recipes from nyt (here you go, Erika!)

2007-07-24T05:35:00.000-07:00

From the New York Times last Wednesday when Erika's family and my family were enjoying a little leisurely reading on Block Island: Summer Espress: 101 Simple Meals ready in 10 Minutes or Less.

napatree beach, 2007

2007-07-23T15:13:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

We had a great visit to Rhode Island in July! It was action-packed, of course, including lots of QT with Mimi & Ted and their families, as well as a side trip to Block Island for some fun with Erika, Clayton & Miles. Our home base was Margy's condo in Westerly, where many a game of wiffle ball took place, as well as lots of great meals. I don't think we ate out once! The kids had fun with their cousins, which was great to see.

sam: 4th of july

2007-07-09T14:10:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

We had a great trip to Orcas for 4th of July long-weekend. Pictured here is Sam, celebrating at the Doe Bay pot-luck. This is the small community group in our soon-to-be neighborhood and also where our good friends Alyson, Andrew & Will live. Other weekend activities included:

fireworks Wednesday night (Sam fell asleep during the show)
fun dinners with friends and family
selecting interior colors at the new house
morning at Cascade Lake "beach" with Michele
parade in Eastsound on July 7--Chris drove electric car since the theme was "go green"
farmer's market; fun with Gramick

It was a great time!

the longest day

2007-06-22T14:11:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the summer solstice. In Seattle that meant that the sun rose at 5:11am and set at 9:10pm. Check out your sunrise/sunset time.

green sheep

2007-06-21T21:18:00.000-07:00

Sam went on his first field trip today with his preschool. Since the kids are so young there needed to be a 1:1 ratio so I went with them. We took the #74 metro bus downtown to Seattle Center and to the Children's Theater performance of "Green Sheep." The show was very appropriately geared for 1-3 year-olds and all the kids were mesmerized! Sam stood with his mouth open and his eyes wide the entire time.

Arla was a little envious of Sam's field trip. But a fire truck came to her classroom today, and the fire fighters showed everyone their gear, etc. so she was happy.

We had ice cream after dinner, too. It was a good day for everyone!

summerland visit

2007-06-20T22:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Arla, Sam and I visited uncle John & Anita at their beautiful house in Summerland, British Columbia (see map here). We had a great visit! It was a six hour drive each way, so we had strategic stops planned--on the drive out we stopped at Confluence State Park in Wenatchee which has an excellent playground, and on the return trip we visited my good friend Tracey in Winthrop. All in all the kids did a great job with the trip and the long drive.

It was fun to catch up with all of the improvements Anita and John have made at their place. They have a beautiful house that is very comfortable. We visited the beach the first day, which was good because the weather didn't cooperate very well the remainder of the weekend. Saturday night some friends visited and it was great to meet and chat with them. And, I went shopping in their studio both for myself and for a friend's upcoming wedding...what fun! They have beautiful things in their studio.

Visits to John & Anita's are always too short, but come Monday morning after another yummy meal we all climbed into the car and started our trip home. Chris had had a good weekend on Orcas helping to make progress on the house and we headed south and west to reunite with him.

real fairies

2007-06-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

Arla went to her friend Hannah's birthday party recently where the girls were greeted by a live, grown-up fairy who helped them all get into fairy costumes and create a play with magic dust and the whole bit! Arla loved it, to say the least. Here's a pic of Hannah and Arla in the outfits they selected.

"practice" ballet

2007-05-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

From a coworker I received complementary tickets to a performance of the Pacific Northwest Ballet for myself and Arla; it was a "practice" performance where people can watch while they do a dry-run of the dance and music. I knew Arla would be into it so we had a special night together, even sitting in lots of different seats to see which had the best view. The first dance had 45 children of various ages, some as young as Arla, all dressed up in their outfits. She especially liked them! The other three were mostly grown-ups, but impressive nonetheless.

On a separate topic, Sam moved up to the "toddler" room at his school this week and seems to have made the transition without much trouble. The teachers even reported that he tried the toilet today! Go Sam!!

mini golf

2007-05-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend and everyone was a little grumpy after nap. It was cool and rainy out, but yet we needed to get out of the apartment! So we went to play mini golf at Interbay. We got three balls/clubs figuring either Chris or I could help Sam--but it didn't work out quite that way.

Arla was into it--practicing the way Chris told her to stand, hold the club, etc. She would count her hits and record her score on the card. Sam, however, held his golfball in a tight fist and wouldn't give up the club either. If we pried it out of his hand and give him suggestions, he would throw a little fit. By the end of the game he tried a couple times to kick the ball around, but whenever he tried to bend down and pick up the ball he would tip over because he held the club so tight. It was hilarious.

After mini golf we got burgers and headed home. Everyone had fun.

my wild life: discovery in madagascar..er..orcas

2007-05-14T22:33:00.000-07:00

We went to the last National Geographic Live lecture series tonight in downtown Seattle at Benaroya Hall. It was an amazing woman named Mireya Mayor, who studies primates all over the world, but especially in Madagascar. She had great photos, movies, and stories. When it was over I thought, "This is what I'll miss when we move!"

happy mother's day!

2007-05-13T22:54:00.000-07:00

Arla and I had some QT together with some shopping, eating, and visiting Uncle John, Aunt Anita, and Great Grama Jeanne up in La Conner over the weekend. We hit the outlet malls and found some deals for everyone before heading over to see Jeanne. After a quick visit we ducked out of retirement dining to eat dinner at Nell Thorn Restaurant and had a delicious meal together! We retired to share ice cream with Jeanne before all turning in.

Today, Mother's Day, we shared breakfast with Jeanne at the Retirement Inn, before heading to the nearby plant nursery for some plants to spruce up Jeanne's pots and to do some other errands. Chris and Sam joined us in the early afternoon after an adventure of their own--a fall near our p-patch in Seattle sent Sam to the Emergency room to check out the cut very close to his eye--but he's fine!!!

All except Jeanne and John visited the playground at La Conner Middle School and then made our way over for an early meal out (again) at Seeds....yum! Both kids were asleep before we were on the freeway for the drive home.

astrosatchel

2007-05-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

I'm officially off the diaper bag. A friend has one of these Astrosatchels and I've been thinking about it since I noticed it. I ordered the 'plum blossom' and love it for the 3 hours I've had it!

weekend on orcas

2007-05-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

Arla, Sam and I came up to Orcas on Friday, visiting Jeanne in LaConner for lunch before we hit the ferry line. It was a cool day, but not wet so we took Dottie for a walk and played at the beach while we waited for the ferry. Once on the island it was a bit of a race to hit the grocery store and get everyone fed and settled before it was too much past bedtime. Chris, who was catching the last ferry boat with Phineas,
asked if I was going to drive out to see the house that day...but it would have been too much driving for the kids--and not nearly as much fun for them to see the house as it would for me. So I just had to wait.

Saturday was packed: we dropped the kids off at Grampa Ed & Carol's for breakfast around 8am. We saw Grampa Ed at the convenience store setting up an ice cream display and helped him for a little while. Then we met the contractor at the house--which looks GREAT! We talked about windows (nearly all of which are there), kitchen cabinets, laundry room, both bathrooms, and lighting. Chris met with his high school friend Eric, who lives here now with his family, about solar panels. Exciting stuff!

Then I picked up the kids and went to the farmer's market in town where there was a kids festival also. Arla made a flower wreath for her head ($5 supporting Children's House, where Sam will most likely go to preschool next fall).

Then back to Gramick's house for a rest and to make a Mexican dish to share at the Doe Bay Pot Luck where Arla happily wore the dress from Mexico Michele brought for her and we met many more of our neighbors. What a day!

environmental home center

2007-04-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

Sam and I went to the Environmental Home Center just south of downtown Seattle this morning. Wow, what a great place if you are remodeling or building a house! Some items that I liked include Squak Mountain stone countertops for the kitchen (and maybe laundry?), versa-tiles or cork rubber mats (for on top of the concrete floors in the kitchen where you stand lots), and beautiful cabinets. There was also a very cool outdoor fireplace/grill.

sam's 18 month check up

2007-04-20T19:48:00.002-07:00

Sam went to the doctor this morning for his 18 month check up. The poor guy has a bad cough, runny nose, and a small spot of eczema on his backside. He was not happy to be stripped down to his birthday suit for the weigh-in and it took him most of the appointment to recover. He was so upset about taking his hat off to be weighed that we just left it on for the rest of the visit.

He is 50th % for weight and height and 95th % for head circumference! A member of the Big Head Club. Along with his cough and runny nose he had two ear infections so we skipped the routine shots scheduled for that day and got a antibiotic prescription instead. Sam goes back in two weeks for a check-up...and for the shots.

visit to see jeanne and laconner

2007-04-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

Today Sam, Arla and I drove north to visit grandmom Jeanne at her apartment in the LaConner Retirement Inn. She is doing well and all the old ladies in the dining hall called Arla and especially Sam by name as we walked in for lunch. The meal ("chicken dip," limp lettuce, and goopy soup) wasn't great but it was fun to see Jeanne and all of the other folks.

On our return trip we saw the Snow Geese, probably for the last time this year as they will be migrating soon. We also took a small detour to see the tulips before they too are gone for the season. Sam slept the whole way home and by the time we reached the freeway, Arla was asleep too. A good day for all!

model view

2007-04-14T07:59:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

Here's the model house view of what the "live" house view looks like today. More pics of the model (for perspective) are in a set on our flickr site at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79586203@N00/sets/72157594161872227/

live view (april 2007)

2007-04-14T07:57:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by smalldognet.

Here's the live view.

a blog for the fam

2007-04-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

So chriskate.net has been mostly Chris and just a little bit of Kate for a long time...but things are about to change. Here's some news from Sam, Arla & Kate.

We were on Orcas last weekend for Easter and to check on the progress of the house. It was exciting to see all the work that has been done and think that we'll be living there in only four months! In many ways I still can't believe it, but in other ways it feels like we'll be there so very soon.