It took a LOT of convincing in the first place.

The sprinklers at the park are always on when we go. Annabelle shows interest in playing in them, but never really actually tries them out. So after several minutes of pressuring encouraging her, she finally ran up to one. As it clicked around she stood there staring at it, then it went right over her head as she screamed "WHAAAAAT!" (that's "wet" in Annabelle speak) She took off running but couldn't quite out run the sprinkler and got wet again. So, as if there was someone watching who would just turn it off she signed "done" but realized she still wasn't quite out of range so she ran again screaming "DOOOONE!" Then she walked over to me as if the whole thing hadn't even happened.

You'd never know we were on our way to go get really wet playing in the river. If you look closely, you can see the sprinkler that she's running from in the photo on the right...

In motion

We found a new set of swings in town that are a little old, but the infant swing is really low to the ground and the swing chains are really long... so Annabelle swings really far back and forth and goes pretty high up in the sky, even though it doesn't really seem like it from my perspective. I love the location- shady under a bunch of fir trees.

I took two pictures of her there that I think are simply amazing shots. The swing photograph I love for several reasons: It's so overexposed that her face is pure white but you can still see the redness in her lips and (if you look closely) the blue in her eyes, the shadows on the green grass almost make it look like it was shot with an old manual camera, and (the best of all) everything is out of focus except (amazingly) for the fine strands of her blonde hair...

The second shot is of Annabelle running through the trees, downhill, towards some sprinklers. I like that I was able to direct the shot, telling her to wait, then run, and then snap the photo to get exactly what I was looking for... I love that she's pointing at the sprinklers, that she is smiling, that the toe of her shoe is barely touching the ground, and that she does not even come close to looking like a two year old!

I hope you like them as much as I do...

Small town experiences

Yesterday we went to a blueberry pie eating contest in the local park of our little town. This was a real contest, featuring world championship eaters, a couple thousand dollars worth of prize money, and about 150 fresh blueberry pies. The stands were packed with fans, locals, and curious onlookers... seriously, in a town of 1500, there were close to 1000 people in attendance. This is no small thing!

This contest was actually sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating and featured several globally ranked professional eaters. These people have a history of setting records by eating, oh, 80 chicken nuggets in 5 minutes. Or 65 hard boiled eggs in less than 7 minutes. Or 97 Krystal burgers in 8 minutes.

The winner of the contest, Patrick Bertoletti, won by eating 9.17lbs of blueberry pie in 8 minutes. He did this without using his hands, otherwise I'm sure it would have been much more... and to be honest, they ran out of pies and had to cut the contest short. It was, for me, a surreal experience. Sitting among hundreds of people shouting for their favorite eater, hands waving, music blasting... the excitement was palpable. I'm having a hard time describing it simply because I've never seen anything like it before and was a little surprised to be there in the first place.

Dave was the one to convince me to go. Only a five minute walk away from our house, and right before dinner time, I just didn't think watching a bunch of guys stuff their faces with pie was all that interesting, but I have to say: I'd go again! It was fun and impressive. Just one of those things you don't see very many times in your life.

Of course we had talked about the contest and what it might be like and what to expect. So once we arrived at the stands and sat down I asked Annabelle if she knew what was going to happen. With wide eyes, she nodded, cupped her hands and pantomimed shovelling food into her mouth while smacking her lips and saying, "Yum! Yum! Yum!"

My favorite part was right before the contest started. After thirty minutes of playing games with Annabelle while saving our seats and waiting through all the announcements and introductions the crowd started to shout, in unison while beating their fists in the air, "Eat! Eat! Eat! Eat!" It caught Annabelle's attention and she stood up on the bench and started to throw her fist in the air, and shouted what she thought they were saying: "Bean! Bean! Bean! Bean!" Hilarious.

The River

We have the good fortune of having a river run through the middle of our town. The local park happens to be hugged in a horseshoe of this river.... so playing in the river a convenient and easy local activity. Twice we've gone there and twice we've seen other kids playing in the water.

Today, however, I met this really cool mom hanging out there with her three sons. They had been misbehaving and the mom was totally busting them. She apologized afterwards for "having to do that" in front of me and I laughed... This may not make a whole lot of sense to my friends who don't have kids, but: It is such a welcome relief when you get to see a parent reprimand their child(ren) and they are doing it exactly like you would in the same situation! You get to agree with them and feel validated and on the right track all at the same time and you don't even have to know or speak to them to have the experience. Or rather, you know up front that you share similar parenting styles and so breaking the ice and starting up a conversation is that much easier and more enjoyable. (Believe me, there is nothing worse than sharing this great conversation with a potential mom-friend and then watching her scream bloody murder and spank her kid right in front of you for practically nothing.)

So, this cool mom invited me to the local playgroup in our little town and asked for my number and I honestly hope to see her sometime soon! After she left the river, just when I was feeling super happy about my new prospective friend, guess what? Another mom came down to the river, toting her two year old, and invited me to her playgroup in the town just north of ours, and gave me her email address, and wanted to try to get together soon.

Can you believe it? The stars are aligning... and I'm so glad because I'm starting to feel lonely and miss my mom friends in California.

But we will definitely be going to this river as much as possible while the weather stays warm. It's only a ten minute walk from our house (!) and the perfect activity for that last hour of the day before dad gets home from work...

Brag book: a brick wall in Corvallis

In her newest little blouse. I can hardly wait to get sewing again and try my hand at making her clothes myself.

This one is for April, my sister... when Annabelle turned one she took it upon herself to teach Annabelle how to wink. She picked it up pretty quickly and for over a year now has been winking at random strangers wherever we go. I have tried very, very hard to catch one of those in a picture, but without success. This picture (taken by Dave) is priceless just for the sheer fact that it's a rarity. I don't know if you can imagine the unexpected delight in being a stranger walking down the street, seeing Annabelle and saying, "Hi!" and getting this wink in return... It has brought many, many surprised smiles to random people all over the west coast.

Guest book - our second visitor!

After Dave's gaming weekend our friend Doug stayed with us for one night before flying back home to New York. I hadn't seen him in a loooong while and it was great to catch up, play a game, talk about home buying and kid having, and just play around our little town. Annabelle especially liked his company and often requested that he read her the book, or pick her up, or carry her over here, or sit next to her, or.... and I have to say it's uncommon to see a man that doesn't have kids feel so comfortable around them and obviously enjoy the interaction. Doug is a special friend to us, and we know that. But Annabelle is special to us too and it was nice to have Doug know that, if that makes any sense at all.

So, as much for Annabelle as for Doug, here is a photo recap of his day long stay with us...

Remember Dad: It's right click and then "Set As Background"

Just call us Zan and Jayna.

Just a little something we picked up at the fair... matching airbrushed tattoos. Annabelle walks around showing it to every stranger she meets. And when she's not doing that, she's wanting to press our tattoos together while I dramatically recite, "Wonder twin powers, activate! Form of: two turtles!" And she stares at me with a little grin on her lips as if I'm the silly one. Sheesh.

I married a gamer.

For 7 years now, Dave has co-hosted an annual guy's weekend event for all his guy friends. This year the event took place only 45 minutes from our new home! So Annabelle and I paid the guys a lunch time visit and she got a little daddy time on the trampoline in the yard. I took so many pictures but this photograph was the closest I got to showing how high in the air they were together... and it's hardly anything at all compared to the peaks they were reaching!

That would NEVER happen in California!

Like most county fairs, ours has what you might expect: kettle corn, live music, vendor booths, 4H stuff, arts and crafts competitions, pony rides, and what have you. So when I went to our county fair I was expecting the same old thing that I see at most festivals. But before we even entered the fairgrounds I noticed that they had several tractors set up at the entrance. "Of course!" I thought, "Tractors!" We do live in a farming community. So a couple tractors at the fair is to be expected. But they didn't just have a couple. They had twelve. Plus a few more just inside the gates. And another dozen inside the vendor area.

Now, I'm not going to bring up the differences between Southern California and rural Oregon too many times, I promise. But you have to understand I'm having all these new experiences and my first instinct it to compare the two areas. I have been having these sort of "that would NEVER happen in California" experiences five or six times a day these last few weeks. I'm adjusting. It's to be expected, right?

So seeing all the tractors was one of those small moments. The other moments? They filled the sand box with unsprouted corn seed. And they put a sticker of a sherriff's badge on every single child at the entrance gate. And the kid's entertainment included events like tractor pulls and gun slinging (which I'll get to later). And they didn't charge for the bounce-house or the toddler car racing area or the petting zoo or even the pony rides! Seriously, everything in the family section was free. And since we went on the free-admission day, the whole thing was free!

Of course we went back the following day and did it all over again!

But, back to the gun slinging stage event. This guy Dan (who happens to be the world champion gun slinger, dontchaknow) was doing his thing slinging guns (while offering gun advice and safety instruction) and had some tricks that he did with his horse too. But when he asked for volunteers and set an eight year old up on stage with a 12 inch foam stick in his mouth and then snapped off inch long pieces of the stick one at a time by cracking it with his bull whip, well, I was pretty impressed. I was also thinking, "Even if he never hit a single child, that guy would be totally sued in California!" Seriously, he was cracking that whip within inches of this kid's face!

Later in the show his wife mounted a spinning wheel and he threw knives at her, landing them all in the wood around her head and body. (It wasn't a trick, I saw the knives flying through the air.) Pretty exciting stuff, I tell you.

Needless to say, we had an awesome time.

Our new car...

We went in search of the car I've been dreaming about, a used** Subaru Forester, and walked away with a car I would have never ever guessed that I would like/want/buy...

A PT Cruiser! Can you believe it? I know what you're thinking, I thought the same thing: Why would some under sixty want a PT cruiser?

And I have the answer: because it is a kick ass family car with tons of room inside, all the comforts you need, and it's not an SUV or (gasp) a minivan. Seriously, at the lot I was just walking by and noticed it was unlocked and out of sheer curiosity I got in and sat down. This is so comfortable! I thought, and noticed the suede seats, the cool door openers, the tinted windows, the CD player, the low miles, the moon roof, the head room, and (finally) the low sticker price. It was cheaper than the Forester. And with better gas mileage too...

Hilarious, isn't it? I can't believe I own and drive a PT Cruiser! And to top it all off: it's a stick shift. I swore I would never buy anything but an automatic, but here I am with my cue ball stick, and it's really okay. I kind of like it, actually. I needed a lot of help the first couple days, but I'm started to feel more confident and am driving better already! (Dave is a great driving instructor and I can already tell he'll be the one teaching Annabelle how to drive.)

The spaciousness inside is amazing to me. We fit our new guest bed (a 5 inch spring queen mattress and the wooden frame) inside with the back door shut completely! I love the hatchback with the extra little shelf- already I have changed Annabelle's diaper there a few times. Sure beats doing it on the trunk of the Camry. Plus, no bending over to load or unload groceries. And no back breaking bend trying to get a 30 pound toddler in the car seat of a sedan either. And because everyone else out there driving one of these is a baby boomer, I'm assuming everyone thinks I'm one too... there has to be a benefit to that, doesn't there?

**we don't buy brand new cars

Our first visitors...

Dave's parents came to visit for a day, check out our new digs, stroll downtown for some super yummy cinnamon rolls, and play with Annabelle. They arrived before we got our carpets cleaned, before unpacking most of our boxes, and before the guest bed arrived. Thank god we finished mowing the yard only an hour before they showed up! They will be having a serious before and after experience... their next visit in six weeks will hopefully reveal marked home improvements! Annabelle was very happy to see them too and especially enjoyed reading books with Grampa Frank.

When we went to into town she ran (in fits and starts) the entire half mile!

Dad time!

First and foremost: Dave got the dream job! Hurray! And the best thing about this cool job? It's not the artsy decor, or the employee cafe, or the fitness center, or his new title, or the awesome commute, or the great pay and benefits. Nope! It's the fact that he can wear t-shirts and shorts to work any day of the week. This is something Dave savours.

But for now he is savouring using those last few moments relaxing on the deck with a beer to get anything and everything done around the house that needs to get done! Yesterday we caught up on grocery shopping and unpacked some more. Today we mowed the lawn and weed-wacked. Tomorrow we are planning to get a car (to replace the truck we donated to charity before moving here). But most importantly, Annabelle is getting lots of dad time and I know she is loving it!

Sitting in the shower (in the guest room) and reading books together.

Hanging out on the garden swing.

She calls it a "whalo"

Five on her hand and a few in her mouth...

A short (but significant) health update

Just wanted to stop here to announce that for the first time since she was about four months old Annabelle's eczema is completely gone! Even the tough, chronic spots have disappeared. I'm amazed.

What's changed? I'm not sure. Right now we're drinking local municipal water from the tap... because we haven't gotten our filter yet. I changed laundry detergents too. I've stopped using any type of anti-bacterial soap or wipe, though I had cut WAY down on those before the move. She ate a lot of my chapstick on the drive up, maybe that was it. Or maybe it's because she's become addicted to soup and asks for it by name (Whoopa! Whoooop!) every night at dinner time. Or maybe my goat theory (having farm animals can help an allergic child heal and become less allergic) is proving itself to be true already!

She's just doing so well, it's a big relief for me.

Pictures of our road trip and arrival to Oregon

We made a quick stop at Split Pea Andersen's so Annabelle could model for their new promotional advertisement... and boy did she love their soup!

We stayed two nights with Dave's parents in Northern California... they had a cute little pool for Annabelle in the backyard!

Next stop: further north to Humboldt County. A super fun playdate with some special friends...

If you have ever tried to take pictures of a kid on a swing, then hopefully you can appreciate this shot of Annabelle with her sweet friend.

We spent our third night with some good friends in the area and Annabelle fell head over heels in love with their 12 year old son. When he was around everyone else ceased to exist. She kept giving him lots of hugs and kisses. Here you can really see on her face how smitten she is just to be sitting and playing with him. We all loved watching them together!

They happened to have a pet rat. Annabelle liked the rat too... so much that at one point I heard this strange metallic sound and when I walked into the room where she was with the rat I saw that she had taken the rat's water dispenser and was fully sucking the water down herself. Now, I have made great progress in overcoming my germ phobia, but witnessing this scene called forth any left over anxiety I had and I started screaming at her to stop and spit it out. She continued to gulp the water and I really lost all composure and pretty much any shame in front of my friend who was watching the whole thing. I was assured that the rat was a family pet and very healthy, but I am still trying to push the memory out of my mind. Annabelle, however, found the entire experience hilarious.

On the road to Oregon...

Finally we arrived to our new home full of boxes and lots of work ahead of us. It was HOT and everyone was exhausted. With only about an hour for Dave to shower, shave, suit up, and drive 25 miles south to a job interview... (That went very well! We have been told the scales are tipped in his direction! Please keep your fingers crossed!) ...the rest of the day was a strange combination of rushing and then standing still in the middle of the living room with no idea how to begin.

Later, iced teas for the grown ups and a hose in the garden for a half naked toddler to cool everyone down after a hot and sticky day.


Funny, I didn't see this when I shot the picture.

Annabelle and Charlie. Snack time on the deck.

Hanging out on the back deck while mom gets dinner ready. These two are total buds...

Before and After shots

I seem to be gravitating outside whenever I feel overwhelmed by the business of unpacking. The good news is that there is visible impact being made in the front yard. No task is too big for a single pair of pruners, one lopper, and a determined woman with a helpful husband!


Here you can see what we've done:

Living in Rural Oregon

So, many of you know that we have gone through all the house hunting, buying, escrowing, and moving and made the huge lifestyle change by moving out of Southern California and into the smallest town in rural Oregon.

I'll save you all the details of getting here... and just get down to the point of being here as homeowners in a (really) little town, population 1500. (Yes, that's right. Just a little bigger than my graduating class in high school.)

I love this house so much, especially the garden. We've already watched a few rabbits graze the grass, and seen deer in our front lawn too! But settling in is going slowly. I feel like a druggie in rehab, trying to sweat out my funk through hard labor in the garden and unpacking. I didn't realize how much living in SoCal changed me until we arrived here. Dave keeps asking me, "Do you like it here?" "Are you glad we came?" "I'm not getting ANYthing from you!" I'm just feeling blah and wanting a huge amount of personal space to absorb it all. I cleaned up and weeded the garden for two hours yesterday afternoon and it felt amazing, as if I'm weeding out crap from my life... I really think it's going to take some time for me to get back to the person I used to be, if that's even possible.

I guess I'm just feeling the rub between living life in an area where I have to compete just for my fair spot on the crowded freeways and living life in a place where the cashier at the store yesterday wanted to chat with me for about two minutes after I paid for my stuff even though there were four people in line behind me.

However, Annabelle loves that she gets to just walk outside any time she wants to and we don't seem to care. (Though each time we checked on her she was just hanging out on the porch swing looking around.) She is just SOOO happy here and that makes me feel great. She loves to go in through the front door, through the living room, through the kitchen, through the utility room and out the back door, and around to the front door... around and around. She also has spent an amazing amount of time hanging out with the cat (who came with the house.) They are total buds. She just gets a snack and sits next to him and chills out. She cries terribly whenever he's done and just wanders away. She REALLY loves this cat, I'm in awe.

This morning I flooded the utility room... twice. Fun times. The first time I was cursing myself, the second, well, I just hung my head. So silly. I had wanted to spend those hours on something other than sopping up water off the floor with a million towels. And we still don't have the gas turned on (who said something about time moving slowly in rural Oregon?) and thus, no hot water -going on four days! I've been heating it in big pots on the stove for Annabelle's baths every night.

And it's amazing how you don't see things until you've looked at them a few times and then you finally realize what you are seeing- like the fact that the utility room isn't made with hung drywall, but painted plywood. That's not something I want to fix! Especially since there are so many other priorities. But I'm sure we'll eventually get around to it. There are other things I didn't notice before either- some good and some not so good. But this house is ours and we're glad to have it and be living here!!! In fact, I can't stop thinking about ways to change things in the house, and paint colors, and lighting choices, knocking down walls, getting new bamboo floors, landscaping the yard, and repainting the outside of the house. Dave can't stop thinking about sitting on the deck with a beer. We are still trying to find some meeting ground.

I'm struggling to decompress, relax and find myself amidst all the hustle and bustle. I haven't yet slowed down enough to know where I fit into this little town... but I know I will, and I know it's going to be very very good for me.