Volleyball Adventures

Another season of volleyball has come to a close, and with it, Mary's team has worked incredibly hard and become hugely successful. They only had one loss all season long-- and received third place in the final tournament of the year. 

It's amazing to watch this girl play -- she can volley like a champ, is quick with her feet, and so consistent with her serves. She's been a strong member of her team, and they've grown and improved together over the season. Best of all, Mary loves this sport. As a child who tends to be reserved and a bit timid in most areas of her life, Mary shows remarkable grit and poise on the court. I just LOVE to watch her play. 

Our Bucket is Brimming...with pride!

Lucy received the Bucket Filler of the Week award from school, and was knighted by the principal with a fancy tie that she can continue to wear all year. Bucket fillers are people who offer help to others and show kindness in their actions (as opposed to "bucket dippers" who tend to take away from others with less-than-kind gestures). Each week, the principal selects a handful of students who have shown exemplary effort in this area. We are so proud of Lucy for her optimism and kindness.

And that's a wrap... and an App!

Our neighbor is a graphic designer and photographer. She is currently helping UC Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science to create education apps based on scientific experiments. She asked if Mary and Lucy were interested in participating in a shoot on Sun Science. They eagerly agreed, and our kitchen was transformed into a studio for the afternoon. With the help of an expert astronomer from the Lawrence Hall of Science, Mary and Lucy built a solar oven out of a pizza box that actually made gooey s'mores in the mild 60-degree sunshine. Next, they decorated cookies to mimic the properties of the sun, complete with m&m sun-spots and licorice solar-flares. A great learning experience for them, not to mention the fun of getting to say, "I'm in an APP!" 

The official app will be free in the iTunes store within the next few months. We'll be sure to share the info when it is released. Until then, here's a preview. 

October

Just as the older generations warn, time does in fact go more quickly as we age. I often think it should be the reverse; we pack so much into every day, how can time possibly escape us? But inevitably, I get a quick reprieve from the daily tasks only to discover that another month is in the books. 

Fortunately, the photos remind me of how much fun we had in October. From pumpkin hunting with cousins to munching crisp, petite apples from Papa's trees to a balmy evening of coat-free trick-or-treating, the first full month of fall was very kind. So kind that our hearts are filled with gratitude. And quite appropriately, seeing that Thanksgiving will be here soon. Like, tomorrow, the way time is flying... 

Sasquatch

Did you hear the news this week about new evidence of Big Foot's existence? Well, guess what? We've confirmed it. And he's far more handsome than previously reported sightings.

Transcending all understanding

Truly, the word, "transcend" on a spelling test for a 7-year-old!

Birthday Grins

And one more birthday to celebrate before we greet October! "Happy birrrr-day to mine dada," says Ryan. 

Loebtoberfest 2.0

To celebrate our September birthday boys, we hosted Loebtoberfest 2.0, complete with lederhosen, beer, brats, and Curious George. Because monkeys and Munich go together, right? Yesterday proved that to be true.

The girls and Grandma and Papa Loeb helped get the house ready for the party while the younger of our birthday boys napped. When he awoke, Ryan was delighted to discover festivities and fun. He exclaimed, "Oh me gosh!" again and again, each time he saw birthday balloons, a guest arrive on the doorstep, Mary expertly placing dots of frosting around the cake. He was truly grateful for it all.

When the candles were lit on the cake at the end of the evening, he squealed with joy. Unfazed by the crowd, he grinned and basked in the moment. It was a moment I will remember forever. I don't know what his birthday wish was, but I certainly got mine.

Truth be told, there have been many times in the past two years when I've been envious of my friends who are enjoying that "sweet spot" of parenting-- where all of their children are fairly independent, sleep through the night (oh, blessed me, when will that actually happen for us!?), use the toilet on their own, and don't have to rush home for nap at 11:30am lest they risk a meltdown.

And yet, this amazing little boy is what makes our family feel complete. We adore him. We can't imagine life without him. He is a perfect addition to our clan. He is worth every sleepless night. Every single, solitary one of them. And then some.

Happy 2nd birthday to our beloved baby. Oh, and shame on us for not getting pictures of the seriously awesome lederhosen worn...next year!

The new, new millenials

A sure sign that this baby is a product of the 21st century....trying to plug iPhone ear buds into the skeleton key hole of our toy box.

School days

Look at these big school kids!

The Magic Beach

Much like the title of one of our favorite children's books, our Magic Beach did not fail us. We embraced the final weekend of summer by sprinting off to the coast for the day. It was an amazing, warm, magical day.

Flashback Friday

To celebrate the last Friday of summer, the kids and I trekked to the Enchanted Forest with a caravan of pals. It was akin to time travel. Not much had changed there in 30 years-- aside from fashion trends, that is. 

September of 1976, with Amy and Mom. 

August of 2013, my three babies. 

Western town 35 years ago. 

Western town today. (Exactly the same.)  

Tribe of Cousins

Grandma and Papa Buck treated our tribe of cousins to a special adventure on the Warm Springs Reservation. A trail ride on sturdy mustangs and hours of endless fun in a warm pool left the tribe tuckered out, just in time to climb into the Bison Teepee to enjoy a Papa bedtime story and a chance to glimpse the first stars of the night with Gra's evening sky chart.  Incredible memories were made, to be sure.

Veraison

The summer is screeching to a halt faster than we'd like to acknowledge. While it's been full and wonderful against that ol' yardstick of summertime adventure, the days have been less (okay, truthfully none) of the umbrella-drink-in-the-hand-toes-in-the-sand variety and more of the carsick-bags-and-schlepping-gear-and-overtired-toddler mayhem. So imagine how lovely it was to drop the children off with my parents and spend an entire day in the Columbia River Gorge winetasting with dear friends.

An incredible gift. At one of the wineries, the pourer talked about the ripening process of the grapes, known as veraison. Colors begin appearing in the grape clusters, a sign of the impending season of picking and crushing. It's a time of great anticipation for vintners as they begin the anxious waiting period before harvest. The day in the Gorge felt a bit like our own veraison-- a day to be calm and reflective as we prepare for the fall bounty of volleyball practices, soccer matches, and back-to-school nights.

And speaking of gifts, we just returned from two fun-filled days with the grandparents and sweet cousins in Kah-nee-ta. Snapshots of horseback trail rides and teepee tales coming soon...