Special Delivery

Look what the UPS driver delivered today....liquid gold! Our very own Extra Virgin, First-Press Olive Oil from Meadowlark Field. You can read the story behind this very special oil here, on my dear friend Kate's blog.

We can't wait to dip a slice of Grand Central Como into this beautiful oil in honor of Jane!

Sleepover

2 six-year-olds + 2 stuffed animals + countless giggles = Mary's first sleepover!

The Christmas Low-down

Christmas of 2010 will go down in history as being a wonderful whirlwind of days. A beautiful Christmas Eve began with gingerbread cookie decorating with the girls (and just try to determine which ones were decorated by Mary versus me-- it's tough to tell!). Dinner and mass, followed by a gift opening extravaganza with the Loebs. We think Grandma Loeb found every single Littlest Pet Shop package in the Portland Metropolitan area!! Oh, the girls were overjoyed!

Christmas Day was celebrated with Santa gifts at home, and then dinner at the Buck house with all of the siblings. Grandma Buck suspected Santa would bring the girls their specially-requested American Girl dolls, so she ran a small sweatshop in her sewing room whipping up all kinds of gorgeous creations. And Auntie Em the Author was at it again with a new book, North to Alaska, featuring none other than Mary, Lucy, Chiara, and of course, the canines in the family!

The day following Christmas was the larger Buck cousin gathering, with all but two of the Buck cousins able to join. We had 30-some people, including 9 children (Mary's the oldest) and 8 pooches. Chaos. But, blissful chaos. Cousin Becky is a fabulous chocolatier (yes, that is a real job, amazing, right?!) and she brought a huge chocolate Santa of delicious 70% cacao chocolate. Yum. The kids were a bit tentative to smack Santa with the mallet (understandably so, given that he had just made their year with special gifts), but eventually dear ol' Saint Nick was broken apart to enjoy.

An incredible stretch of days, with many fond memories with precious family.

Snowshoe Spectacular

Today, we spent a spectacularly gorgeous day snowshoeing with my parents, my brother Ryan and his wife Nikki, and my baby sister Emily and her boyfriend Ben.

Everytime I hang out with my siblings, I learn new things. Today was no exception.

For example, I learned that no matter how old I get, Ryan will still catch me off guard and sack me in the snow.

And, I learned the fine art of sumo-snowshoe, a game invented by none other than Emily. Just like reindeer games, only much more fun.

Unless, while you're watching, you get sacked in the snow. Then, not quite as fun.

Doubting Lucy

Late last week, the girls spied a Christmas elf, decked out in red and white elf garb, perched up on the door frame leading to our dining room. Mary knew immediately that he was a magic elf sent from Santa. An elf who will fly each night to the North Pole to report on the girls' behavior, and then return to perch in another location in the house the following morning.

Lucy, on the other hand, wasn't quite so faithful. I caught her darting back and forth under the door frame, with her eyes fixed on the elf. She repeated this a few times, then confided in me, "Mom, this isn't a real elf. It's just a stuffed animal."

"What? Why would you say that, Lu?" I asked, shocked by her disbelief.

"His eyes aren't moving. Watch this." She again ran back and forth below the elf, while keeping her eyes on that little guy. "See, his eyes don't move. He's just a stuffed animal. Plus, Mom, I think I see a tag on him."

Can you imagine? No elves? No magic? Well, our little elf, named Kristopher, better not be reporting this news back to Santa.

Angels Among Us

Today was Lucy's Christmas pageant. It was equal parts fabulous and hilarious, with 40 preschoolers singing eight memorized Christmas tunes.

And there were only a few snickers about boisterous Lucy playing the role of an angel. Well, does six still qualify as a "few?" Hmm...

Anyway, here's one song for her fans who missed the live performance!

Blitzen

As we were unpacking the Christmas boxes today, Mary picked up the Reindeer plates (with clever images which match the reindeer names). She looked at Comet, and said, "Oh, a comet is a type of shooting star, so that's why this reindeer is holding a star."

Then, she glanced at Blitzen. "Hmm....Blitzen is holding a wine bottle. So blitzen must be another name for wine."

Apparently, she began to second-guess her reasoning. After a moment of thoughtful silence, she asked, "But Mom, how come I don't ever hear grown-ups ask for another glass of blitzen?"

Camouflage

Since Curtis has returned from his annual elk hunting trip, he hasn't felt compelled to shave his beard.

Today, at the US GranPrix of Cyclocross, I finally realized why. It's so that he blends in better with the dirt. Camouflage for the competition.

And speaking of cover ups, I had to look for shelter myself while volunteering in Lucy's preschool class on Thursday. As I was helping children with an art project, I heard Lucy in the middle of an altercation across the room. My ears perked up. Lucy was saying, "Yes, you do kill the elk. It's nature!" while another little girl was fighting back tears, saying, "We don't kill elk and deer!"

Fortunately, the teacher interceded to help explain that Lucy was talking about hunting for food, and skilled educator who she is, she worked it into a little talk about the life cycle. But, as I listened to Lucy insisting that elk must be killed, I certainly could have used some camo of my own...

Blur

The past few weeks have been a wonderful, fun-filled blur. I'd love to tell you all about it, but unfortunately my free time is packed with consulting and volunteer commitments. Until I have a moment, you can go here to visit Amy's blog and read all about our fabulous Thanksgiving adventures in Bend.

We are so grateful for Amy & Tom's incredible hospitality and for the many blessings in our life at this busy-but-beautiful moment in time.

Compound Words in the 21st Century

This afternoon, Mary was upstairs playing, "school," making a list with her imaginary class which read:

Compond Words
House/hold
Apple/sause
I/pod
Hair/brush
I/pad

Apparently, as a student of the 21st century, there are a whole host of new options for compound words! When I laughed and explained to her that the iPad and iPod didn't even exist when I was a kid, she looked at me suspiciously and said, "So they were just their own words, and couldn't be compounded? Oh, that's sad."

Sad indeed.

The Mama Bear Instinct

Every mother has experienced that overwhelming "mama bear" instinct. The I-can't-help-myself reflex to protect her cubs. That reflex is alive and well in this mama bear, let me tell you.

Mary and her sweet pal Molly spend their recess time building caterpillar houses out of sticks and leaves and acorns. They create elaborate homes for those furry black and gold caterpillars we see from time to time, with bath tubs and a swimming pool-- even swings and reinforced rooftops. A wonderful, creative way to spend recess, in my opinion.

But not in the opinion of the evil girl. Maybe I should simply call her misguided. She is, after all, only 8. She trounced out of school, flanked by two boys, and went straight to the tree where the latest caterpillar house had been lovingly and carefully built. She shouted to anyone who cared to listen, "Stupid first graders-- they think fairies are real and they build these dumb houses for them. Dumb girls! How stupid, stupid, stupid!" and then she proceeded to take her foot (oh, yes, you knew this was coming!) and crush and stomp that little caterpillar home until nothing was left of it.

From ten feet away, this mama bear was boiling inside. It took every bit of restraint not to grab her by the collar and march her to the nearest teacher to demand a year of detention and gruel for hot lunch.

Instead, I waited until she looked up from her destruction zone and when she caught my eye, I said firmly, "That was not a nice thing to do." She smirked and walked away, the two boys trailing after.

I was furious that this little girl so wickedly and swiftly destroyed hours of creativity and delight. Until, that is, Mary and Molly came running out of school to continue their work on the caterpillar home. They saw that nothing remained, and Mary said, "Oh, the wind must have knocked it over." And Molly replied, "Well, now we get to build a whole new one and it will be even better!"

So, this mama bear didn't need to rise up and growl after all. These girls still have their sweet souls and their creativity. The misguided second-grader couldn't destroy that. If only we all could handle setbacks with such grace.

Treats

Luckily, Halloween was filled with only treats in this house. We began the day with Greta consuming and successfully retaining one tablespoon of soft food, which was a great relief.

Then, for the third year in a row, we joined the neighborhood Monster March, in which hundreds of local goblins parade around the block. Each year, it gets bigger and better. We left the parade and marched straight to our friends' home for pizza with the "gang" and a birthday celebration for one sweet lion-clad boy. And, then, we trick-or-treated our way through the streets back to our home.

Of course, our best treat is a mutt who was feeling well enough to greet tricksters at the first ring of our door bell. I've never been so happy to hear her bark!

Carving

For the first time in nine years, we carved pumpkins without a gray dog at our feet. You see, poor Greta hasn't been able to keep an ounce of food or water down since last night. After some IV fluids and tests at the vet, we're hoping she begins to improve tomorrow. Otherwise, Halloween will be a very scary day for this house.

Flanked by the girls' carvings, here's a pumpkin in ode to our sweet Greta Girl. Who hopefully will be back to her rambunctious, crazy self soon.

When it rains...

it pours!!

On Sunday, despite torrential rains and wind gusts, I ran a hilly half-marathon with a group of girlfriends and my big (but much littler) sis Amy. Now, when I say that I ran with them, I should clarify that I mean we all left the starting line together. But, they are all speedy gazelles, so I finished well behind them.

Those speedsters all managed to break two hours, and I came rolling in a few minutes after, to cheers and ringing cow bells from Curtis and the girls. But, I was delighted to finish with a smile on my face and without damaging my knees. As Grandma Fisher used to say to me, you are only given one set of knees. So, I tried to use them and not abuse them.

After crossing the finish line, I was meandering through the crowds to get some water when Lucy spotted me from her perch on Curtis' shoulders. She saw the finisher medal around my neck, and exclaimed in surprise, "Mommy, you won! You won!!" Yep, I feel that way, too.

Hip hip...

Hooray!

Our friends Heather & Pete have just returned from Ethiopia with the incredible news that they have passed court (aka legally adopted) their daughter. And, now that it's official, they can finally share photos of this beautiful little girl.

So, go congratulate sweet Aliyah Meseret on becoming part of an amazing family!!

Calendaring by Weim

Each season brings markers. Perhaps in your family, it's the absence of leaves on your maple tree. Or, the first morning that you glimpse frost on the rooftops.

At our house, we know that fall is creeping toward winter when we find Greta sleeping under our covers at night. People always look surprised (read: horrified) when we tell them where Greta sleeps. But she really does curl up small. Can you even tell she's under there? Honestly.
By 10am when the room is sufficiently warmed by the sunshine, she usually makes an appearance above the covers. Without even unmaking the bed. Now that is a well-trained mutt.

Cyclocross

When you're six, the closest thing to heaven is a Cyclocross race. Here's why:

1. Nutella-filled waffles to warm your chilly hands and your belly.

2. Cow-bells to ring to your heart's content.

3. A fun bumpy bike ride, with a ribbon waiting for you at the finish.

Come to think of it, when you're 36, it's still pretty heavenly-- because in addition to all of the above, you get free beer, too.

Parting is such bitter sorrow

... when the farewell wasn't planned!

This morning, I was up before dawn for a run with girlfriends. I laced my sneakers and sleepily exited the side door, when I noticed our carport's fleet of rides seemed lacking. Then, it dawned on me. My trusty old Cannondale and our Burley trailer were missing! Gone. Vanished. Taken by a thief in the night.

And the thief even had the nerve to leave evidence, in the form of a 32-oz. orange soda in our recycling bin. Hey, it is Portland after all, which means even the crooks try to be green.

Typically, the bike and trailer are under lock and key, but I was lazy yesterday afternoon and forgot. Which is a good reminder to me to be more vigilant. Curtis is convinced that we will catch the perpetrator and is already scheming a sting operation. Wish him luck...and don't attempt to enter our carport after dark unless you want to stumble upon a booby trap!

However, there is a tiny upside here. Curtis has seven bikes, and I now have zero. Which means the next new bike in the family will NOT be for Curtis. A small consolation.

Anticipation

This weekend was all about anticipation. My wonderful friend Heather is days away from a jet plane ride that will forever change her life. She and her husband are headed to Ethiopia to meet their daughter and formally adopt her. And then fly home and wait an excruciating 3-6 weeks until they can return to Ethiopia to bring her home for good.

On Sunday, Kate and I hosted a celebration with Heather's "village" of friends and family. Every child is anticipated and loved before his or her arrival. But our collective anticipation of sweet little Aliyah is overpowering, palpable, incredible.

Hurry, hurry, Father Time!!

Hip Nana

We went to visit Nana last week, and would like to officially declare her winner of the "Most Hip Nana Ever Award." She now has an iPad! Seriously, how many other 87-year-olds are this tech-savvy? She is amazing! (And probably reading this blog on her uber-fab iPad, in fact.)

As you can see, Lucy has already begun praying to St. Nicholas that one lands under her chimney this Christmas.

Loebtoberfest

Beer, bratwursts, and Bavaria all graced Curtis' birthday Oktoberfest celebration this weekend. With fantastic decorations and music (thanks to Aunt Patty and Mom), it was a packed Haus of herrs and fraulines for an Oktoberfest party to remember. PROST!!

Adventures of the Wedding Travelers

To celebrate the gorgeous wedding of cousin Zan and his bride Janna, we spent a long weekend on San Juan Island, which is north of Victoria, B.C. but somehow still in Washington, thanks to curious boundaries drawn by our forefathers.

It was picture-perfect, including time for canoeing, lighthouse viewing, and fun times with our amazing family. And of course, our dancing girl Lucy was once again the Energizer Bunny of the dance floor. (Was there ever any doubt?)

The adventure began with a ferry ride to Friday Harbor, on San Juan Island.

Look who arrived from Alaska: Lucy's "hair-twin"-- Auntie Em!

Uncle Ryan playing, "Catch the baby," with Lucy.

I convinced Amy to do a long run with me. Remind me to never do that again. Amy is way too fit and fast for the likes of me. We got lost on the muddy trails of the island and ended up running an impressive 9.6 hilly miles-- the furthest distance I've run in 12 years! Not so impressive-- I had to stop on several of the hills to catch my breath, as I watched Amy effortlessly climb them like a gazelle.The girls loved time with their cousin Chiara-- including Madrone-climbing.

Mary was so excited when Papa shared a clam shell with her at the Lime Kiln Lighthouse.

The gorgeous Our Lady of Good Voyage Chapel at Roche Harbor, with a beautiful hydrangea garland courtesy of Aunt Patty's enviable green thumb.

Janna and Zan were so joyful! (Oh, and yes, this was taken from the very back of the chapel. Fire Marshal Jack Herron did not make an appearance, but we were certainly glad the church survived our crowd.)

The view from the back of the chapel of Roche Harbor. Emily's boyfriend Ben got put to work right away (it's okay, Ben, really, it's a compliment!).

Our dancing queen loved her dance partners, Nathan and the other Emily Buck. Lucy also loved dance time with the original Emily Buck and Ben. And Lucy took this shot of Ryan and Nikki-- a dance queen, and a budding photog. Clearly, a good time was had by all!
(Oh, and sorry in advance, Zan and Janna, for the surprises you'll get when you develop those disposable camera shots. Most of them will look something like this, courtesy of that budding photog:)