Author: admin

On finding Melona

July 17, 2012

On a trip to Hawaii a few years ago, we discovered a treat with a very odd name. Yes, it’s made of melons, but it just seems like an unfortunate sounding title for such a delicious ice pop (a friend recently told me it sounds like a skin disease.) But it must be popular in […]

How to calculate how many days you’ve lived

July 16, 2012

I guess these are the kinds of things you think about when your guys are almost four years old. I was at the park today and met a father who told me his kid was 21 months old-which sounded a lot like almost two years old and hearing this made me wonder when the hubby […]

Harbour Green Park (Vancouver, BC, Canada)

July 13, 2012

I love the Coal Harbour area of Vancouver, and on a recent trip, I bookmarked what I imagine would be THE BEST SPRAYPARK ever. It’s in the heart of the city, along a scenic seawall, and it has a yummy-looking restaurant nearby. What more could you want? I would love love love to go back […]

Maybe I should just camp out now

July 12, 2012

I have had an unhealthy obsession with Target since I was a small child and my sister and I would roam the candy, toy and book aisles late at night on weekend trips from Vancouver to Bellingham. Back then it just seemed like the most heavenly store in the world-Target had EVERYTHING! I can still […]

Fab Find: Tomy Constructables

July 10, 2012

I. Hate. Cleaning. I don’t really know why I bother at all. Messes in a house with kids just seem to happen the minute you make things spotless and then you have to clean them up again and it’s such a vicious cycle that I think would be so much better if you just stopped […]

Best 2 buck souvenir you can buy in Seattle

July 6, 2012

One thing my guys look for at every Seattle festival is the Center For Wooden Boats station. I think there was one at last year’s Folklife Festival and there was definitely one at the South Lake Union Block Party. (It’s happening in a few weeks on August 10th!) This year we built ours at the […]

100 hours in Paris

July 5, 2012

So maybe it wasn’t quite 100 hours in Paris, but I did spend nearly 100 hours kid-free on the whole journey from the time I left the airport to the time my sweet boys all picked me up. So what does a stay at home mom set free into the big big world with her […]

Happy 4th!

July 4, 2012

I thought we’d start the morning with patriotic pancakes, but the guys preferred the deconstructed version, so I was the only one in the family who actually ate a flag for breakfast. But the guys liked painting the “Statue of Liberty” and “Uncle Sam” masks we picked up at the Hobby Lobby a couple weeks […]

What peace in a crowded restaurant looks like

July 3, 2012

A friend and I met for lunch with our kids at a local Panera Bread. It was noon so there weren’t a lot of free tables and it looked like any chance at a big table would take a long time. We took full advantage of this opportunity and plunked our kids down at one […]

Chocoron (Aoki Bakery, Paris)

June 29, 2012

The boys are totally addicted to everything macaron, so I couldn’t help but squeal with glee when I found this lovely confection among the millions of macarons enticing shoppers in Paris. A chocoron. (English Translation: a heavenly macaron enrobed with chocolate). Oh and it was delightful. I wonder when we’ll start seeing these stateside. You […]

Re-entry after my first trip away

June 26, 2012

Somewhere in between the big hugs, the ‘welcome home mommy’ banner and the “what did you bring me’s?” reality has set in. I’m back at home after my 100 hour journey and the guys are making it clear that re-entry will not be easy as long as they can help it. I caught a tinge […]

Solo Flight for a new mom

June 25, 2012

Years ago I had a little bet with my husband: not a real bet, but an “incentive bet” because as a new mom there was a lot of pressure in all directions to nurse or not nurse your babies and I wasn’t sure exactly what I really wanted to do. So I declared that if […]

One of those hobbies I don’t really talk about

June 21, 2012

Normally, I wouldn’t really tell anyone about this hobby. It’s not glamorous, like, say rock-climbing or scuba-diving in your spare time. But, it was too precious watching my guys find their first ‘geocache’ that I had to share. Yes, we geocache (sometimes and not always on purpose, and this was our first time since the […]

Dear Dad,

June 17, 2012

I have a hunch that you’re definitely one person out there reading my daily gushings and rants, and I hope you’ve had a lovely day today. I’m thankful for all the wonderful memories I have growing up, but my fondest are of you reading to me. I think of them often-especially as I sit beside […]

A long time ago in Vancouver with baby twins

June 13, 2012

I’m feeling a little nostalgic because my guys are headed full-speed for their 4th birthday and it’s just making me wish that time would slow down just a little. I found some pics from a Vancouver trip we took when they were still teeny tiny and small and I can’t believe that time is so […]

U:don an udon restaurant in Seattle (University district, Seattle)

June 9, 2012

Oh how I wish Seattle had more places like U:don. We saw so many noodle houses in Japan and loved how you can customize your udon noodles and it’s so fast it’s practically “INSTANT” fast food. (Translation: perfect kids’ meals! Who wants to wait with kids in tow?) The menu looks a little tricky because […]

Homemade Yogurt

June 7, 2012

Voila. Homemade Yogurt that did not kill anyone. The hubby was quite skeptical of my homemade yogurt and still hasn’t tried it so I’m refusing to buy store-bought until he caves. I even made the topping thanks to my lovely friend S’s rhubard compote recipe. (The citrus one is truly divine.) Yogurt is so easy […]

Baby Airplanes and biking with kids

June 4, 2012

Guess what we found on a recent bike ride? Baby airplanes riding on a train! There were at least three of them. The boys were thrilled and so was I. Only in Seattle is a sight like this not a total suprise, it’s amazing that we have Boeing practically IN our backyard. And this is […]

seattle family adventures with baby twins

What to unexpect when you’re expecting twins

June 1, 2012

I’m dying to see that movie what to expect when you’re expecting, because I remember reading that book and feeling so overwhelmed-even before we knew we were having twins. Since the day we announced we were pregnant with the duo, the number one question we get asked is “Were you expecting twins?” Maybe it’s conversation. […]

Wordless Wednesday: Water Table

May 30, 2012

I head to Kidsquest at Factoria Mall when I don’t want the guys to play with the water table at home. They can play for hours on this part they call “Ballard Locks.” It’s pretty much an indoor water play area where the kids put on aprons and pretend they’re trying to stay dry while […]