BIG NEWS!

Not to make it all about me, but I AM AN AUNTIE again!  Em and Sid's baby is born, and he is precious!  Behold:

He was huge (one ounce larger than I predicted, though):  8 lbs, 10 oz.
His head is huge and he's nearly 21 inches long.  Em was only in labor for 8 hours and the word on the street is that she ROCKED IT.  My biggest problems are (1) that I can't hold him until December and (2) that I need someone to watch my kids so I can go to Baby Gap because obviously little baby Dylan Kent Mathews deserves a new outfit or ten.

Fourth of July!

Whenever I am lucky enough to be in Seattle for the fourth of July, we have front row seats to an amazing fireworks display at Aunt Jean and Uncle Raymond's house.  (The fireworks are set off from a barge in Lake Union.)  This year was the first in many that I was able to go there -- and I got to take the kids with me.  I will admit that they are exhausted (still!) and that it was tough to have them up until 11, but really, it was so fun and the kids are still talking about it! 

A huge bonus to the evening:  Aunt Jan made cheese dip (a Kent family standard) that hit the spot! Tommy tried it for the first time and loved it.  Rather than teach him about double dipping, Aunt Jan just gave him his own bowl :)

Lulu & her Gwampa

So my dad and my daughter have a somewhat special relationship.  He does whatever she wants and she loves him in return.  You can't exactly call that unconditional love because in fact it is very conditional.

For example, yesterday morning she woke up very cranky because she was by herself and had to walk upstairs rather than be carried.  (I know.)  So, I wished her good morning when she arrived in the kitchen and scooped her up and she had a full-on fit and ran off to pout.  I happily ignored her but her grandpa went and got her and then poured her a nice big glass of juice and told her how nice she is for a few minutes.

Another day he went out to get her from the front yard, where she was breaking the rules because the kids are only allowed in the front yard with an adult, and came back in reporting that she wouldn't come with him, and had told him that she was the boss.

Seriously, Dad? I said.  She weighs 26 pounds, so she's easy to hold even when she's having a fit and arching her back.  You just pick her up.

I know, he said, but I want her to like me.

It reminds me of Grandma Sid's visit to London last year during which I asked, "really, she had no fits for you today?" and Grandma Sid said, "oh, no.  I never told her 'no'."

Painting her Gwampa's toenails (with washable nail polish).

I love my friends

First, I've got a sweet one of Millie for you.  Look at that face!  Can you believe people (her parents) say she doesn't like the car?

Second.  Can I just take a moment to tell you all that I love my friends? My friends make it so easy for me to live my life abroad because I come back here and they act like I never left and tell me all their news and just feel comfortable and lovely.  It is so so so nice.  Does it make me want to live in Seattle? Yes, it does.

(Also, they read my blog which is gratifying and some of them even tell me they love it, which is, again, so so so nice.)

My friend Lynn's girls with T & L.  I babysat for the elder one when the younger one was born
and now they are in HIGH SCHOOL and I feel OLD.

Waitrose Flashmob (almost my dream come true except I wasn't there)

I have written in the past about how much I love flashmobs.  Here is my new favorite one.  I really really really hope I am in the middle of a flashmob someday.  I really do.

The Woodland Park Zoo

Yesterday Dad and I took the kids to the zoo.  I think it was easily Tommy's favorite activity since we arrived in Seattle.  We did the zoo in the order one is supposed to do it -- saw the African animals first and then moved over into Asia to see the elephants (Lulu's focus).  But, sometime before we got to the elephants, Tommy noticed a sign for the Raptors and became singularly focused on seeing them.  I made him wait until we'd seen the Asian animals but we got to the Raptors and there was a woman doing a demonstration with all the birds.  It was AMAZING.  We saw two types of owls, a raven, two types of hawks, a golden eagle and a turkey vulture (my personal favorite I think, because he walked out of his little house rather than fly).  Anyway, Tommy has been spending a fair amount of time since we got here with my parents' North American Bird Guide, so he was beside himself with excitement to see all these birds.  When the zookeeper said she was bringing out a Harris Hawk, he put his fist in the air and screamed, "YES!!"  And when the Golden Eagle came out, he leaned over to me and said, "that bird can kill mammals as big as small deer."  When we got home, he showed me where it says that in the book.

I think a surprising part of parenting is how much my kids teach me and not just about life -- but about actual stuff.  I now know more about dinosaurs than I ever thought possible, same with construction machinery.  I can tell you which insect can jump highest and I can identify some types of penguins (but I still think they smell horrible).

Of course, the kids were enamoured of the gorilla as well.  She picked her nose and then vomited into her hand and ate it.  Not kidding.

There's a vintage carousel at the zoo.  I said no, Grandpa said yes.  So here they are.

The Golden Eagle.  As big as Lulu, for sure.  It didn't fly because there is a bald eagle nest nearby and the zookeepers don't think the golden eagle should share their airspace.

Berry Salad Sale

So my son really wants some Lego Ninjago stuff (I have promised to take him to Toys R Us to make his list, wish me luck) and so he is trying to make some money.  Yesterday afternoon, he spent a long time practicing cutting with a sharp knife (under Grandpa's close supervision) and making berry salad.  He decided to sell it to make money toward the dragon sword of fire (or something).

This says:
"Enjoy it freshly served try the recipe straweberey bluebery salid sale pay 1 qarter"

(He is a clever little boy but we need to work on the writing.)