Halloween & Baseball

Commander Fox & Martha Stewart's Bloody Cupcakes (sans sugar glass shards - damn that Martha)

Grady was Commander Fox from Star Wars :: The Clone Wars.  Who?  Yeah, I know.  Or, rather, I don't know.  It doesn't really matter because he loved his thrifted costume and I loved how much it made him happy.  

I helped out with his class party and the kids ate cupcakes, candy, popcorn, carrots and chocolate milk. They also decorated vampire eggs with colored sharpies.  So easy and fun.  It rained during their Halloween parade through town, but the kids could have cared less.  They were all about the candy and strutting their stuff.

Halloween evening turned into a downpour, but we braved it in Tomales (we...being Steve) and the boy was able to trick-or-treat with his best friend, Calvin.  

Our altar was more decoration this year and we did little to discuss our loved ones who have passed on.  I hope to change this next year and share more about Grady's ancestors' lives.  We'll see.

The mush ball Steve and Grady worked on was found at school!  G came home so proud and relieved that the search was over.  SL worked on this handmade mush ball for hours and we were all a little deflated when is had gone missing.  Slowly, but surely, baseball is inching its way into Grady's life.  It's all the rage at school recess and he's hounding his father every afternoon to play.

I hosted the Babylonian Book Club at my house last week and we discussed Laura Ingalls Wilder, her books, legacy and all things calico...and then some.

I love our town.  Seriously, a pie auction?  Yes, this is the greatest place to live.

It stormed mid-week and the grasses have started to come alive and spread a little color on our property and the surrounding hills.  It's like magic and I look forward to many good storms and power outages this winter.

Nose in a book on his walk up the lane
Petaluma Library Entryway
G selecting books

G is eating books for breakfast, lunch & dinner.  He's on book #346 for this calendar year and not slowing down.  We made our inaugural visit to the Petaluma Branch of the Sonoma County Library system and were not disappointed.

Ka-pow!  Here's Grady's 4th grade school photo.  He selected the outfit & background.  Pretty wild, eh?  I love saving these school photos.  Blackmail photos = Power.

Saturday found us driving to Isabella's first triathlon at McNear's Beach in China Camp.

This girl is so strong and ambitious.  She is undeterred and focused.  I love her drive and determination.  I'm so proud to be in her life and be her God-mama.  I look forward to being at all of her important events and cheering her on.  She is an inspiration!

G reading to Livia on the back deck
A November Jenner sunset

G had a friend from school come over on Sunday.  She was too cute, all in hot pink and wearing a bra (yes, a bra!), but willing to climb trees, play baseball, Legos, video games and hang in the art studio.

The week was full of tradition, celebration, rituals and firsts.  We cracked open November and I'm looking forward to all of the fun, frivolity and feasts that this month has to offer.

Mud Run & Pumpkin Carving

New mural at Andy's Produce

Going to work has been harder and harder for me lately.  It's not that I don't like my job, I do.  It's just that I love being in my house more and leaving my homey cocoon on a Monday morning to head to school for an 8 am meeting and then to the office in Sebastopol is not my idea of easing into the week.

The mornings start for me when it's still dark and I shuffle out of bed to turn of the alarm clock, turn on my laptop, start the water for coffee and organize my day.  I nudge Grady and have found that enticing him with 10-15 minutes of reading time is the best way to get him out of bed without constant nagging. Oh, make no mistake, there is still constant nagging to make progress in the morning but the get out of bed speech has almost disappeared.

After my meeting at school and my stint at work, I made my way over to Andy's Produce to do my weekly shopping trip.  It turned out that I left my key in the car with the radio on and I returned to a dead battery.  Oh, it was going to be one of those days.  Steve ended up saving the day with jumper cables and I got to admire the new art mural recently installed on the side of the building at Andy's.

G is the red speck in the middle of this picture

The day ended with making good on a punishment handed out over the weekend and Grady had to run to the top of the hill behind our house and back as fast as he could.  He fell three times, shed hot, angry tears and hid up a tree in front of our house until we called him in.  Unfortunately for him, he made great time (10 minutes roundtrip) and future punishments will use that time as a benchmark.

He's been interrupting and correcting us with big NO's a lot lately and it's just not acceptable behavior.  We've let it slip, issued warnings and finally had to find the punishment that would make him stop and think about his actions and words.  This did the trick.

We have such a smart, creative and funny kid and it's not easy or frequent that we have to implement this kind of punishment.  The good news is that it worked!  Slowly it is seeping into this young man what we expect of him and we are slowly seeing the results.  I want the end result and, so, I have to parent in tandem with Steve and stand firm.  It's not that hard, but it would be harder to do alone.  I'm grateful every day that I parent with SL and his strong, moral compass.

When all was said and done, I wiped Grady's tears away with a warm washcloth & gave him a big, loving hug.  He cried into my shoulder and hugged me back.  His dad talked to him about why we issued that punishment and how proud we are to have a kid like him.  It ended well, but it was hard.

1.) Valley Ford; 2.) Petaluma; 3.) Cotati & 4.) Valley Ford/Bodega

The rains hit us hard early Monday morning and then the skies opened up and the clouds danced about.  The week was filled with daily cloud shows over the valley and surrounding towns.  I couldn't get enough of the white, billowy formations.

So we weathered the first rain storm of the season pretty well and the rest of the week was filled with pretty moon rises, soft sunsets, eating the last of the apple harvest at work and strolling through community gardens admiring the late fall flowers.  I wanted to soak up the last bits of autumn before an early winter set in.

Gigi phone date, Tuchbands here for dinner & Scott V. made us a fire pit!

Grady has devoured Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder this weekend.  We also watched part one of the Disney movie and I really enjoyed sharing this with him.  I loved this series as a young girl (the books & the television show) and it was nice to see that the books held up in this modern time.

Garter snake on Johns Street & "Fern" painting inspired by the book Wildwood.

We learned about shabbat on Friday night from our friends, the Tuchbands.  They introduced us to challah bread (which was awesome!) and explained a bit about the tradition.  We decided to honor that tradition and rest all day Saturday.  We visited with neighbors, read and painted.  It was such a nice day with the boy.

Before, Laundry Pile & After

It was a good thing we rested on Saturday, because Sunday was our first Russian River Mud Run 5K (with an obstacle course, of course) with the Rangels.  Oh, yes!  That Stephanie can talk me into just about anything.

Out of 740 participants :: G finished as #440, Sophia #441, Steve #438

We all got good and filthy, went down a 50' mudslide and finished with minor injuries & smiles on our faces.  The best part was that Steve & Bert joined us for this little adventure.  I know our kids loved it, but I'm thinking next year should be a father & son only event for the Salas-Hecht clan.  I mean, someone has to stay clean and take the pictures, right?

I love how strong and beautiful our children are.  I am continually amazed by them.

My happy cyclops, SL's bull dog & G's Yoda.

This weekend ended with us attending the annual pumpkin carving contest at the Chutes' home.  Last year Steve took 1st place with his one-eyed gourd and two years before that I took 1st place with this one.  This year Steve finished 2nd with his very original green, wrinkled, toothy bull dog.  This man has a knack for carving.

This is my book club selection and I'm almost finished with it.  It's all about one woman's quest to learn about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her books, homes, life and legacy.  Grady is going to attend our meeting this coming week and share his thoughts on the two books he read from the series.  He's pretty stoked, as he always wants to come to book club with me.

And while I don't long to live like the pioneers, I do love my life in our little house in the valley.

Muir Woods

Today we set aside work and school for the day and played a little hooky from our obligations.  We were on a mission for Muir Woods. 

A Muir Woods hike has been on my to-do list for a couple of years.  On New Year's Day I draft a list of things I hope to do or see and each year this one item kept falling to the bottom of the list, only to be added again the very next year.  Well, we remedied all of that and talked our son into missing school (yes, talked him into it!) and took Highway One down to Muir Woods National Monument.

Steve selected the moderate to strenuous Dipsea Trail, which was approximately a four mile hike.  It felt like it was uphill almost the entire way, but I know that just can't be.  It sure did feel like it though.

We reached the top and had this breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean.  The day was warm and clear and the views were sweeping.  We even glimpsed the top of the Transamerica Tower in San Francisco.  We quickly gobbled our lunch and posed for a few photos.  We were on a mission to finish this hike in one piece (we all took turns stumbling along the way up and down the trail).

Steve planned the day, took charge and led us most of the way.  It was a fantastic experience and a worthwhile excurision.  It was an even better day as a family.

The guys humored me with a quick stop to the First Light Farm pumpkin patch in Petaluma.  They selected pumpkins nearest the car (ahem...) and posed for a few obligatory photos in the patch to make me happy.  I just love me a pumpkin patch photo shoot.

Grady had a string of half days at school for parent-teacher conferences this week.  Steve & Grady took the early release from school as an opportunity to hit the Rohnert Park Golf Course and I took the quiet afternoon and turned it into an outing to Occidental for the weekly farmers' market.

G topped off his Friday of fun by spending hours on end in his art studio creating origami Star Wars' creatures.  He was seriously fixated on this project and stayed out there until darkness had fully set in.

The books that spurred all of this origami folding was The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee.  And while I certainly don't understand any of this current fascination, it was nice to see him reading, researching and creating his version of the characters mentioned in this book.  He even made me a Mamoda.

Hot Legs

Steve put together the most awesome bench for our front deck.  He ordered hairpin legs online and affixed same to create this little piece of awesomeness!

I love when my man makes something with his very own hands for our family.  It's so personal and lovely.  A family heirloom.  Yes, indeed.

Our friend, Patty, is moving off the island that is Bodega Bay and heading to Belvedere in Marin County.  She invited us to join her in throwing back heaps of sea glass, abalone shells & sand dollars to Mother Ocean.  We laughed, reminisced and even had the good fortune to spot two whales right off coast.

It was a stellar way to start our weekend and wish our friend luck as she heads out to her very own new, uncharted waters.

Jogathon + Harvest Cup 2012

This weekend was all about athleticism & endurance.  Our little boy had the yearly jog-a-thon fundraiser at his school on Friday.  He ran 20 laps and raised approximately $620 for his 4th grade class.  G has to do the legwork for the fundraising on this event and he did a great job.  He even promised copies of his artwork to the sponsors.  Now, he has to deliver on said promise.

Baseball + Jog-a-thon 2012

There was no training for this little event, but the kids have come to know what to expect with the requisite hip-hop music blasting, frequent water breaks & the sweet reward of ice cream following completion of their laps run.

G rounded out the day by playing a pick-up game of baseball during recess.  It was nice to be on campus and see all of the kids in such great spirits.  It helped cement my feelings about the school and be grateful for the community that I've found there.

Cheering section + Angry Hippo face paint

Next up on the calendar was the Harvest Cup Soccer Tournament that had us slated for three scheduled games, with an additional game added if the Angry Hippos went undefeated.

The little champions

Undefeated was the buzz word of the day.  The boys played their little hearts out and it just so happened that Isabella & Sophia were on a winning streak, as well.  All three of the kids were in their own championship games for their divisions late Sunday afternoon at Ragle Ranch Park.

Wizards vs. Angry Hippos

The feelings that came over me throughout this season were surprising.  At times I was frustrated that G wouldn't give it his all and seemed lackadaisical during his time on the field.  Then I would shift to moments of sheer joy and utter pride watching him try, shake his hair out and be part of something bigger than himself.  

I also enjoyed the slow evolution of friendships with the parents and the joining of forces in cheering our boys on.    

2nd place medals for the U-10 Angry Hippos

I finally understood that having our son be part of a team was really important.  He has so many solitary activities that he is good at, but stepping outside that comfort zone and learning to work with others was important for him to understand and just as important for me to understand.  I get it now.

We came home from the weekend really bonded as a family and this was the cotton candy sunset that we were treated to Sunday evening.

It really wasn't about winning 1st place in the tournament, but it sure felt good to ride the wave of positive energy that the boys exuded and coming together with other like-minded adults and cheer for the common goal (pun totally intended).

I think this officially makes me a soccer mom.

And I'm quite okay with that.

11 years & 1 kid later

Man at Work

We celebrated our 11th anniversary by not really celebrating our 11th anniversary.  We chose to keep it low key, but Steve did install the amazing douglas fir shelves he has been working on in the dining/kitchen.  He used metal braces to support them and I read somewhere that the 11th anniversary is steel, so I interpreted the shelves as a present.  See how I did that?  That's what 11 years of marriage gets you.  They look beautiful.

Hairdo & Missing a head, an arm & part of a leg

Grady's school picture day was this week and he styled himself in skinny jeans, Dolce & Gabana t-shirt, thrifted snap shirt and a really awesome hairdo.  The boy looked good.

Sonoma Coast at Sunset

The evenings have been cool and crisp.  We went to Jenner last Saturday night to help initiate the new fire pit at River's End with the Rangels.  They had all the fixings for s'mores and ordered up an amazing sunset.  We brought the kids neon bracelets and they loved them.  The bioluminecense was a trip to see and the kids (and Steve) took turns tossing rocks & logs into the river to watch the neon green show.

I love when we have pizza night.  We've kind of got the recipe down to a science and cooking as a family makes me really happy.  Our boy has been reading the Percy Jackson series and has really dived in, stealing away any possible moment he can to open the book and read.

G's nightly hugs to his father appear a bit awkward due to his long legs and fascination with finding his reflection in a nearby window.  This boy never tires of looking at himself!

Gemini & Autumn view of our home

The leaves are changing and dropping fast on Johns Street.  The llamas will move to a neighboring pasture as soon as the next big rain is on the horizon.  Our fields are mangy, dry and overgrown - kind of like the llamas.  

This is the last week of soccer and it's not over yet.  The Angry Hippos beat the Tidal Waves 6 - 0 and they were so fun to watch.  The boys have really come together as a team this season and it's been a thrill to see their skills build over time and learn their positions.  We have a big weekend ahead of us with a three game (minimum) soccer tournament at Ragle Park.  I guess it's official:  I'm a soccer mom.

I saw rain in the forecast for later this week and I made sure we picked one last batch of blackberries from Middle Road.  I set about canning three batches of jam today and found complete and utter peace in the quiet rhythm of my kitchen.  My task was completed by noon and I even snuck in a coffee date with Steve after dropping G off at school.  I'm getting this jamming thing down and find a lovely satisfaction in foraging & preserving the summer bounty.  I even had enough energy in me to can a few more batches of applesauce this week and Steve juiced the last of our apple harvest.  We are officially done in this department.

The weather has been unpredictable, so I've been soaking up the sunshine when it's out and reading as much as I can outside.  I know old man winter is creeping up on us, so I have been seizing the day(s).

The Valley Ford Volunteer Fire Department held an ice cream social this week, with homemade ice cream provided by the Valley Ford Young Farmers' Association.  It felt like real down-home country charm and I'm a sucker for that business.  We met a few new people from town and visited with those we see less often.  It's kind of funny how we live a town with a population of 126 and still don't know everyone.

G has a new pen pal, cousin Ana Maria from Canada.  She wrote him first and sent him cookies.  He wrote her back, sent her an introduction to birding book and illustrated his best self-portrait to date.  He was inspired to draw this beauty with new Micropens that we purchased from the art supply store a few days ago.  He ended up wanting to keep the original, so I scanned and printed off a few.

I ended up framing the original and hanging in our living room.  I enjoy watching him develop his skills as an artist and seeing how proud he is of his work.

After 11 years, I'm proud of all of this life we've created, the son we've had and the community we belong to.

Happy anniversary to us.