Big smiles from tiny post-it notes

Last year, at an off-site retreat our HR department participated in an exersize involving the writing of our positive impression of each teammate on a post-it and placing it on that person's back.  It was a cool activity but I didn't really feel it had an impact on me at the time.  Our Director suggested that we hang them up in our workspace as a reminder of the way the team sees us and to delight in the compliments.

Well, I have had mine hung on my wall since then...and it has brought me much needed assurance on many occasion. Working  in a different city than the rest of the HR team, I often feel like it is just me, myself and I...but these notes remind me that I am part of great team.  I was thankful today to have this reminder.

Where did the rabbits go after their wedding?

On their bunnymoon.

We have a lot of pets, but If I could have a favorite it would be Ace, my rabbit. 

He is gentle,  likes to give hugs, and his blue-grey-brown fur is the softest thing you will ever feel. He only has eyes for Marshmallow, a cute white and black bunny that Alice got for her birthday last year.  They both are rescued pets and they seriously love each other...totally bonded and inseparable.  Today as they spent time in their gated area on our porch I enjoyed sitting and watching them play, cuddle, and nibble on apples and lettuce. What a delight.

Kindness is underrated

I have so much gratitude toward our city's public school educators. The teachers here are exceptional.  Alice's 4th grade teacher has her class focusing on Kindness for the rest of the school year. Students get credit for random acts of kindness they perform outside the classroom.  When Alice finished making these blueberry muffins this afternoon, I fully expected her and Dom to scarf them down with a glass of milk as usual. Instead she asked if she could wrap them up and bring them to a really cool couple that lives 3 houses down on our block.  And she did just that.

What day is it ?

This week was a complete blur...super busy and lots of yuck scattered throughout.   I worked around 45 hours in the last 4 days plus  doing the double duty parenting as Brent had long work day obligations in Bellevue.  Today my brain is fuzzy...overloaded.  I am truly thankful that it is indeed Friday.  Hooray! 

Nostalgia comes in small jars

Our kitchen cupboards are particularly tall, and I am most certainly not. I admit that items get tossed in and pushed back and are sometimes forgotten or simply never seen again.  Recently this jar of baby food surfaced when Alice was seeking paper muffin cups.  Now, I often feel like its hard to remember my kiddos as babys. One look, though, at this little glass vessel of puréed carrots and the memories were flooding back.  Bibs, and little mouths into which I would squeeze tiny spoons full of goop.  Some of it went in, and the rest...well, the rest ended up on every surface within a 3 foot radius.  After my walk down memory lane, I promptly tossed the carrots.  They had been sitting in my cupboard for the last 7 or so years. It was time.

Great news

Teresa and I met 9 years ago when we both experienced first-time motherhood at the same time in the same Chinese hotel conference room. We have kept in touch, spending Chinese holidays together as our daughters grow up. 

Two months ago Teresa suffered a sudden brain aneryism that had her in intensive care fighting for her life for several weeks. After multiple surgeries and intensive physical therapy Teresa is once again back home with her husband and daughter in Seattle. She is such a strong individual, a smart, kind person. She has a way to go...and recovery isn't going to happen overnight, but my heart sings when I realize all that she has been through and how far she has come!  Welcome home, my friend.

A little Gloria goes a long way

Today I am thankful for Gloria Steinem.  She is a brilliant woman who had a huge impact on me as a young person and continued to inspire me into adulthood.  Today Gloria turns 80 years old.

Happy Birthday to an all-around legend!

Ix-nay the ama-dray...life is short

I am thankful today that my office has a door.  Some folks like to stop by and chat during the workday.   Most of the time it is a great break to visit and catch up with a friendly co-worker. Sometimes though it is simply a negative spewing from someone who is miserable for whatever reason.  They consider it "venting" but it really is more about their outlook than anything that is happening at work. I respond in a positive way...looking for the silver lining, glass half full stuff.  They don't want to hear it because they enjoy being miserable somehow.  Today, I just didn't have the energy for it all, so I was glad to have my door to close.  Sometimes you just have to shut out the negative to focus on the good stuff.

Looking forward.

Today I walked around in my garden for the first time since November.  As I poked and weeded around looking at what did & did not survive winter, I got tingly thinking about the new planting season.  So much to look forward to.

Dim Sum...yum!

To make up for having a full day of classes in Seattle on a Saturday...I stopped by our favorite dim sum joint in the Intl District before heading back to Tacoma.  Dinner to go from Duk Li Dim Sum.  Now, let's eat!

PPGNW

I have been doing payroll at Planned Parenthood of the Great NW for almost 5 years now.  I not only love it because I work so close to home, am part of an organization with such a powerful and significant mission and get to pay people for a living.  I love it because of the people that work here. I was having an especially stressful week at work and the last two days were nothing less than brutal...but one of my co-workers made such a difference in my mood. She heard the predicament I was in and didn't hesitate to jump right in to help. She lightened my load, and helped me to regain my sanity. 

I am thankful for the fantastic team that I work with at this super cool non-profit.

Keeping it safe, one pedestrian at a time

I recently signed up to be volunteer crossing guard at the elementary school once a week.  Who knew it would be so fun?  Fresh air, smiley kid faces as they scramble to get to school before the bell rings, and I'm pretty much a super hero in the eyes of my 2nd grader once I put on my vest and grab my flag.

Cash makes the day bearable

When I was a girl I remember listening to my dad's 8-tracks of Johnny Cash and Mac Davis while riding in his old red pick-up truck. This could be why I have been a Cash fan as an adult.  I listened to most of this album today...the perfect work music.  I must say that young Johnny is pretty easy on the eyes...hot ch cha!

This girl

Two days ago marked 9 years since we first got a snapshot of the sweet baby who was waiting in a Chinese orphanage to be our daughter.  There was no doubt in my mind that we were her parents.  It instantly felt like we had known her from day one. I can't even write this without getting choked up...

Alice is an amazing, smart, kind, & silly girl. I love her so much for the joy that she has brought into my life and for making me want to be the best mom I could possibly be.  She is modest and not a fan of getting her picture taken but I found this one from a little while back...she is beautiful.  A blog journaling our adoption of Alice is linked at the bottom of this page.

Mmmmmm....

Sometimes I feel like the luckiest girl on earth. Most evenings when I come home  grumpy and brain-dead from work, Brent has already finished homework with the kids and has dinner ready to serve.  This is a wonderful thing.  Tonight this is what I came home to...home made Thai peanut chicken.  

Family frolics

 Family birthdays at my parent's house in Fall City are a good excuse for me to hang out with these darlings. When they all get together there is a lot of wrestling, tickling, giggling and all around silliness. Nephews & nieces sure are fun. From left to right...Griffin, Dominik, Marlow, Lucas, & Miles.

Dear to my heart, my sister

I am thankful for the chance to spend today with my sister, Diane.  She is one of the most caring, creative, selfless (and in light of recent events...courageous) people I know.  I love you, sis.

A tisket, A tasket...a black wire basket

Today I treated myself to a basket for the front of my bike...and now I am super excited to start riding my to work each day. Now I just need a cup holder for my coffee and I'll be good to go.

I'd rather be knitting

Nine months ago I taught myself how to knit with needles and I was hooked instantly.  I was horrible, but it didn't matter too much. Since then I have switched to knitting on looms because it is easier on my arthritis.  I've gotten better but mostly I have found it to be a calming and relaxing activity that is a lovely way to wind down at the end of the day. This is a photo of a blanket I am working on tonight...it is slow going, so I expect it should be complete before next winter.  

Here comes the sun

While my normal work commute is only 2 Miles roundtrip...I don't mind the 80 mile round trip to Seattle I take twice a month to check in with my team.  Today was a simply beautiful day...one that reminds us Northwesterners what Spring is like around here.  Here is a snapshot of my trip home on I-5.  What you can't see is that my window is all the way down, and what you can't hear is the music blaring. If you look closely you might spot a snowy Mt Rainier straight ahead in the distance.

A little sun amidst the showers

I saw this image today and it spoke to me...a visual that stays with you unexpectantly.  To me it is a sign of hope, but I will let you decide for yourself.

This kid

So, Dominik has been begging for a dress shirt and tie for his birthday.  His birthday isn't until June, and we wanted to buy him a bike for his birthday.  Today, to his surprise a shirt and tie came in the mail.  He was just beaming...put them on right away, but he wanted to quickly take them off to keep it nice for school tomorrow.

Bike races in the alley

Today my cabin-fevered self was truly grateful that the rain let up long enough for us to play outside.  Dominik challenged me to race on our bikes. He always wins.

Ahhhhh, le cafe

Every so often I make a pot of coffee on a Saturday afternoon...and let me tell you, nothing tastes better. Today was one of those days. The sky is a dark grey and rain has been falling since the early morning. We are all doing our own thing but in the same space of the living room. My thing? Having a cozy cup of very dark roast. Mmmmm.

Family Tree

Alice's 4th grade class assignment was to create a unique family tree and to interview a relative.  I love what she has done here...very simple, only names on a tree cut from fabric she picked out from my stash.  She had a great time interviewing Brent's mom about growing up...and writing up her research.  So proud of my sweet daughter.  She sees us as her forever family without a shadow of a doubt, while she knows there is a biological family somewhere in China whom we sadly will never meet.  We are so lucky to be her parents!

Escape to Hogwarts

I'll be frank, I never used to understand people's obsession with Harry Potter.  I had not read the books and when the first movie came out I saw it on DVD, unimpressed. 

At our house we have been reading aloud to the kids before bedtime since they were babies. As they got older we had trouble with them being interested in what we read and they stopped paying attention.  Enter Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone...and nighttime reading has not been the same. I look forward to reading these books aloud (we are on the 3rd one now) and the kids are totally sucked in and thrilled with the stories.  I have a new and deep appreciation for the Hogwarts crew and have enjoyed the movies that follow the books.  Reading aloud as a family is such a great part of each day...I hope our kids will always let us read to them.

Zoe to the rescue

When things get tense and deadlines are creeping up at work, I turn to music to bring it down a notch and to remind me to breathe.  Today I turned to one of my favorites...Zoe Muth. She is an amazing female singer, songwriter, and musician from Seattle.  Her band is Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers.  Their sound is a fresh, honest, blend of old school country and blue grass.  Her voice is unpretentious...modest but powerful.
This is the album I listened to today...Starlight Hotel, recorded in 2011.  Her most recent recording came out in 2013,called Old Gold, which I have yet to pick up but it is definitely on my list of must haves.

Blooms of deep purple

I received this indoor bulb bouquet as a birthday gift from my mother-in-law, Joyce. The bulbs have fully bloomed into tulips of a most lovely shade of eggplant purple. They are so elegantly bringing life into these gray, drippy days of Winter.

A little construction paper and tape makes it all better

After an annoying Monday at work I came home exhausted. Dominik had made me something in his 2nd grade class...a work of art to be exact.  This paper structure was all I needed to put the day behind me.  I love my kids' art.

Sugar

We have a new addition to the family.  Sugar is an 8 year old cat with bright white fluffy long fur and a pretty face. She is a talker, and a preener...she seems affectionate on her own terms and not a big fan of our cat Midnight so far.  We hope she will be happy here, as she is having a tough transition. Arriving here yesterday, she did a lot of exploring but has been very timid.  Right now she is more comfortable hiding away in basement where we can't get to her, but coming up to chat and eat when she feels in the mood.  Today I am thankful for this sweet girl that has graced us with her presence in our home.

My annual elbow-to-the-back day

When it comes to massages, it's usually a once-a-year thing for me and the last couple of them I've had came from these guys. Most of my days are spent bent over a keyboard of a laptop or pc...and my shoulders and back are tied up in knots for the most part. The cheesiness of getting a chair massage in a mall is not lost on me, but once I'm in the chair here I might as well be on the white sands in Maui because everything stressful in this world vanishes. All I hear is a faint sound of Mandarin spoken and all I feel are elbows thrust into the deep tissues around my shoulder blades until the muscles tingle & burn.  I seriously need to figure out a way to do this more like once a month instead of just my annual birthday visits.