Dream on a Grand Scale

My friend Jocelyn let me know of a public art project that sounds magical and is perfectly free. It's called Lullaby Moon, described on its website as "a year-long invitation to Seattle to explore a world of dream. A celebration of the night sky, the series of performance events brings bedtime whimsy and wonder to parks and other public spaces throughout the city, enlivening and enlightening the dark time of each month. Performances take place on each new moon for an entire lunar year."

Lullaby Moon performances--large-scale, site-specific and participatory--are staged by Lucia Neare's Theatrical Wonders, who ask "What would it be like to live in a place where joy was in the air? A city where citizens were invited to dream on a grand scale?"

Remaining performances in 2009 are July 22, August 20, September 18, September 19 and October 18. Locations and times are announced shortly before each event on the website.

Photos: lucianeare.org

Tiny Big

"I sure am a little, tiny big girl, am'n't I?"
-Imogen, 3, this afternoon

Our Hills, Our Heaven

Scenes from the Hurricane Hill trail today
Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park

Pigtails

This Morning

One Girl in a Tub

Rub-a-dub-dub
Wednesday

This Is What Mattered

This Afternoon

Happy Father's Day!

"It all begins with showing up."

-Bill Gates Sr., Showing Up for Life

Wholly Loved

A couple of days ago, Immy and I were hanging out in her room and she said to me, "I love you with my whole heart," and she made the shape of a heart with the fingers of both hands.


Photo: Fleurrr, Flickr.com

Bubbles & Bikes

Saturday afternoon,

Saturday evening

Pitch-Perfect Politics

Auto-Tune the News takes bits from the news and C-SPAN and, using Auto-Tune pitch-perfecting software and edits, creates videos that are hilarious. Watch #5 "lettuce regulation. American blessings." 

Summerina

Imogen, this morning

I made a green rosette from thrift-shop ruffle to cover an ink stain on this velvet pinafore dress.

"Summerina" is a word Immy made up today. I think it's a spin-off of "dancerina," her word for a dress.

Painted Lady

Today

T-shirt Mike

He's a local dad and talented screen printer.

Check out his samples.

Photo: tshirtmike.com

Intiman Hires Gen-X Director

Her name is Kate Whoriskey and at 38 she's about to lead Seattle's Intiman Theatre. She's a new mom, a wife and proof to me that Generation X has finally arrived.

Photo: New York Times

The Dinah Shore Era

Imogen was saying "dinosaur" the other day and it sounded like "Dinah Shore." When I thought more about the name Dinah, I had to admit I am a product of our American culture. As a kid, when singing I've Been Working on the Railroad, I envisioned Dinah Shore hanging off the train, blowing the horn, her blond hair flying in the wind. "In the kitchen with Dinah"--in my mind--she was a twirling, aproned housewife holding a banana cream pie in one hand. However, I just looked the song up on Wikipedia and it says "Dinah was a generic name for an enslaved African woman." I was sadly mistaken.

Photo: Nelson Riddle Music 

Pretty Snappy

Jen Hopwood, a former teacher, thought up creating small, decorative felt animals that snap onto a t-shirt. What a great idea! Her company is called My Perennial.

Make your own.

Photo: Snappy Kids Tee, myperennial.com

World Edition

Check out Mapping the News.

Father's Day Freeconomics

This Sunday, June 21, is Father's Day. In celebration of dear old dad, The Children's Museum in Seattle is offering free admission to fathers accompanied by children. There will be a concert of Eastern European folk music and dance for all ages from 1 to 2 pm. Only children under the age of 1 are free; open 10 am to 6 pm.

Dads are also admitted free on Sunday at the Museum of Flight with a coupon available at any Bartell Drugs. Kids 4 and under are always free; AAA discounts for all ages; open 10 am to 5 pm.

And, on Father's Day, from 9 to 10 am at IKEA, dads get a free breakfast and coffee.

"Best Mommy in the World"

Immy just told me I'm the best Mommy in the world! She gave me a sticker that says #1. It made my day.

Water + Colors

Painting with Mommy's watercolors
Today

A Day With Grammy

Imogen, 3, spent Thursday in Forks with my Mom. I love hearing both Immy's and my Mom's accounts of how their day went:

Immy: When I asked her what she and Grammy did, she said, "We went to a meeting." She told me that they saw my Mom's friend Sue there and she had a bandage on her finger, but that Sue is fine. Immy also told me that she is growing yellow apples at Grammy's house.

My Mom/Grammy (currently pronounced Gammy): "All of that is true but the apples are green tomatoes. She was absolutely perfect at a very important meeting. I told her ahead of time about having to be very quiet and she told me to tell her exactly when she had to be very quiet."

She also ate, played, pooped, hiked and slept. Sounds like another great day with Grammy!

The Hens' Palette

At the Open End of a Flower

Three-year old Imogen today

Edward L. Tisch Memorial Arboretum

Peninsula College, Port Angeles

"Not Very Comfortable"

Immy has these two complaints at bedtime almost every night:

1. "But I'm not very comfortable."

2. "But my tummy is rumbling."

By day, she praises me for working hard to make her bed so comfortable. "Sank you Mommy, sank you, sank you," she says, "I love my bed, I love it."

Mr. Floatie

Mr. Floatie must be celebrating today!

Photos: lightstalkers.org, georgiastrait.org 

Raising an Adventurous Eater

I heard a fun interview on KUOW with Matthew Amster-Burton, Seattle food critic, dad to Iris and author of the new book Hungry Monkey: A Food-Loving Father's Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater. I can't wait to read it (the first three chapters are free on the book's website). The author blogs at Roots and Grubs.

Friends for Life

A new study on baboon mothers' offspring mortality found that the infants of those with "strong relationships with other females are more likely to survive to adulthood than baboons reared by less social mothers."

The study also found that:

• the "strongest social bonds" were between mothers and adult daughters (followed by sisters)
  
• "social" doesn't mean "wildly social," but a "close social bond"
  
• the social female baboons formed close, long-lasting relationships with particular female partners
  
• the benefit may have to do with regulating the stress hormone cortisol
  

(quoted text from UCLA Newsroom press release)

"I want to grow up fast"

Imogen, 3, from the back seat this afternoon:


"I'm too small to play with Elizabeth [her cousin].
I want to grow up fast.
How can we make me grow up faster?"

I read just yesterday that touching and cuddling your baby activate growth hormones which in turn promote healthy development. It was a side note in an article on The Independent's website about the possible consequences of leaving babies to cry to sleep.

Motherhood: Poetry & Conversation

My Uterus, That Party Balloon

Tuesday, July 7 at 7 p.m., High Point Library (West Seattle), 3411 SW Raymond St.

"Does motherhood still define women – whether they choose to have children or not? A poetry reading and conversation with Elizabeth Austen and Erin Malone.

Elizabeth Austen is the literary producer at KUOW 94.9 public radio [Seattle]; her new poems consider the personal and cultural implications of choosing not to have children. Erin Malone is the mother of a young son and author of a chapbook, What Sound Does It Make, that chronicles new motherhood complicated by post-partum mood disorder.

Free.  Co-sponsored by the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs."

From: http://elizabethausten.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/the-party-balloon-in-west-seattle/

"Rhodilly"

Neighborhood Schools

The Seattle Times has written a thoughtful editorial about overhauling Seattle Public Schools' dysfunctional student-assignment plan.

It Had Something To Do With Love

Today

Tank Pop Art

Today

Our Douglas Squirrel

This little critter, Washington's native Douglas Squirrel, visits the pine trees in our yard and chatters.

Hair-Raising Picnic

Monday