Just So Handsome

Gilligan's just so handsome and he has a handsome name.
-Imogen

My Motorsickle

Imogen and Friends

A Good Heart

We Will

The mother of Imogen's future husband writes:

"I reminded My 4 year old…that mommy and daddy were going to sleep alone in their bed tonight and he would sleep in his room with his sister. He told me that he and Imogen would get married someday. I said, 'yeah, maybe you will' and he said, 'no, mom. We will.'"

Mud in Your Pie

“Mud-pies gratify one of our first and best instincts.

So long as we are dirty, we are pure.”

Charles Dudley Warner

A Small Good Thing

Starfish of Star Pasta and Paper

You Are You

Out of Our Hands

Our Hands

Imogen Howell III

Imogen, while watching Gilligan's Island, told me "When I grow up, I'm going to be rich. I'm going to make five dollars a day! Or sixty-two dollars a day!! Or (eyes widening) a hundred fifty ninety-two dollars a day!!!"

Little Free Libraries

"Here's something to make you smile: bibliophiles all over the country are setting up Little Libraries, teeny tiny buildings on their lawns, full of books to check out. They're on the honor system, and you can leave books too." -Jezebel.com

littlefreelibrary.org

When I Grow Up

Yesterday on our way to a dinner, I was complaining about 'always' being late, and Imogen said "I probably won't be late when I grow up. You're always late, so I won't be late because kids don't do what their parents do." I said "That's true! How did you know that?!" She said "My brain just knew that. Why is my brain smarter than my skin? Mama, do you know why my brain is smarter than my skin?" I said "I know what you mean, it's just amazing that way. You're so smart."

Motherhood

41 and Pregnant

Down a Sunny Dirt Road

Farewell and Thank You

Stan and Jan Berenstain

Keep In Touch

Imogen and I took off for three

great days in Port Townsend.

Chetzemoka Park

The Waterstreet Hotel

The view from our room

Manresa Castle, the "greatest kingdom"

A sign we found on the side of the road

Do Good Work

Nothing you do for children is ever wasted.

Garrison Keillor

Train Song

A Party

"No self-respecting woman

should wish or work

for the success of a party

that ignores her sex."

Susan B. Anthony

That's a Shame

"5 Things Not To Say To Divorced Moms" | Huffington Post

I Kind of Believe

"[M]oments alone are like unicorns. I’ve heard of them, I kind of believe in them, but I’ve never really seen one for myself so I can’t be sure." 

Lea Geller | "Parenting Stories: How the Significance of Valentine’s Day Can Change After Kids" | ParentMap

 

No Backsies

I introduced Imogen to "Slug Bug!" Her cousins taught her the follow-up "No Backsies!" Then she added "Gotcha!" And now it's evolved into "Slug Bug! No Backsies! Gotcha! X-out, X-out, X-out!" She rapid fires the whole word string every time she sees a Bug or Beetle.

Might As Well Face It

Immy this morning asked me if I know what a "pinkaholic" is. I said I do. Then she announced that she was dressing as a pinkaholic today: pink shirt, pants, socks and shoes.

Where Your Heart Is

Understanding

“If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.”

Albert Einstein

Super Bowls

Showing off the bowls we made from Perler Beads.

A Merry Yarn

“Sweater, n.: garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly.”

Ambrose Bierce

From Whence We Came

Lemony

Life gave us lemons.

West of Here

The Best Guy

Imogen yesterday on her "boyfriend" Jackson:

On our way to see him, "He's the best guy I could ever find."

And later after saying goodbye, "It's just so hard to leave the person you love the most."

She asked me if I knew Daddy when I was a child. I said no. "Well I know this person and I'm going to marry him," she replied.

A Lass Unparalleled

Not Blue

Photo: http://www.facebook.com/bjork

“[My daily life at home] is more regular than people think, let’s just say that. There’s definitely a lot of cooking happening. People are not going to believe it, I know, but I’ve always been a bit of a homebody. I had a child at the age of 20, and just when he was getting big, I got a new one.”

“They’re the best companions. I can’t imagine anything better than having a conversation about giraffes and why they are not blue.”

―Björk on her home life and children, in an interview with Spin in 2007

T-i-m-e Spells Love

I went to visit Immy this afternoon and found her busy making this card for me.
It says "Amy I can't wait until you get back from work ©©©©"

Snowstar

The Best Thing

"You're the best thing in the whole, wide world.
Even better than a home."
Imogen to me on November 25, 2011

Felt Happy

I'm a bit behind here because I bought a house and moved about a month ago. And I've finally hung something on the walls! These are felt and stitched wall hangings collected at the Port Angeles Goodwill in the last few years (for about $11 total). They're hung in Imogen's room above her work table. I got the idea to group them from the book Design*Sponge At Home.

It's Christmastime

Days You'll Remember

My Favorite Thing

Photo by Emma Janssen

We went to Juan de Fuca Festival's The Sound of Music sing-along.
Immy won a costume award for "Most Likely to Elicit Awwwws."
Her prizes were a whistle, [whiskers on] a kitten and a bright copper kettle
in a brown paper package tied up with strings.

Making Stuff

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

Do Good Anyway

"According to the Census figures from 2010, across the country, 31.6 percent of single-parent families headed by a woman — about 4.7 million in total — were impoverished. That figure marked an increase from 29.9 percent just one year prior.

Male-led single-parent families fared better with about 15.8 percent — or 880,000 total families — below the poverty threshold.

In comparison, just 6.2 percent of married-couple families were impoverished in 2010."

Max Reinhart | "Single moms in poverty here reflect national data" | The News-Herald Online