Sushi - It's Not Raw Fish!

Makayla needed to try something new for her Renaissance project at school.

Think differently. Be open to new ideas. Try something new.

So we did!

Kaiten sushi.

Masa, Makayla's former choir instructor, from Japan told her about the conveyor belts restaurants awhile back.

Little plates of food coming around on a conveyor belt.

Watch it come swirling by. Pick what you want. Food in motion.

It sounded so fun.

We thought we'd have to go to Japan.

We didn't.

We went to the Blue C Sushi which has a few locations around the area.

On Friday we tried the University location. But they were busy and we had other plans that night.

So on try two, Makayla and I went to the South Center Mall location, after lunch

rush and just before dinner.

Plus, it was free pretzel day at Aunt Annie's, so we downed a regular and cinnamon covered one before heading over to Blue C Sushi.

Plus we wanted to shop, without a two year olds attention span to limit us.



Food, good. Price average. Ambiance fun. Definitely worth trying. I'd definitely go back.

What is Lady GaGa's favorite kind of Sushi?

Raw, raw, raw, raw, raw
(joke courtesy of none other than Mark J.; what dark Alaskan winters
do to someone's humor:0)

'My new learning -sushi isn't raw fish! Though it was It is actually rice seasoned with sugar, salt and vinegar. Now I am all about sushi!

Cupid Cafe and Valentine Kid Stuff

Cupid Cafe.

Fine dining.

Amazing guests.

Fabulous ambiance.

A family tradition.

For the last several years, Randy and I have decided to spend the holiday of love with the ones with love most, our children.

Several years ago, my youngest sister's boyfriend (now husband) was in town. She wanted him to meet all the family. A family dinner. Perfect.

It was Valentine's weekend. My mom, the clever, imaginative person that she is created CUPID CAFE.

A meal created with love for the ones and edibles you love!

Cayden introduced the formal dress code when, a few years back, he showed up wearing his crooked clip on maroon tie and slacks.

A surprise visit by the resident make-up artist.

We made a visit to Boehm's candy for chocolates. http://www.boehms.com/

Enumclaw Chocolate Festival for chocolate dessert cups and red dutch cocoa.

The kids really look forward to this special meal. Cayden was intent on not missing it even though he was flying out on Valentine's Day to visit cousins during his winter break. So we had it a day early, which meant Saturday.

Randy decided the Saturday chores would get done more quickly if there was incentive to do them. Kids earned monopoly money in exchange for jobs. The more money, the more you could order at Cupid Cafe. The kids knew this was a meal worth working for. They quickly decided that teaming up was beneficial. Cayleb and Madalyn. Makayla and Cayden. It is the hardest I have seen them work around the house in a long time.

Compliments to the cooks. Cupid Cafe 2010 had remarkable reviews. Definitely a 5 star meal.

When it comes to holiday tokens of love, for me it is flowers, fine chocolate, and a honey do project.

This year I requested my flowers a week early so I could enjoy them all week long. He also surprised me with new running shoes and clothes. He has come such a long way from one of the first outfits he bought me; green stirrups and a teddy bear shirt with a bow that moved up and down to indicate how far along I was in my pregnancy. Unfortunately, I outgrew that charming maternity outfit fast!

For Randy, it is time together. A thoughtful note. A temple session. Good smells.

I really love this little group of mine!

Our pre-school love bugs. The kids loved flying these around. Of course, we made sugar cookies, passed out valentines, and played valentine games. Their favorite was pass the parcel. They were so excited to peel off each layer and finally discover the treat inside.
Since we are in the middle of basketball season, Cayden decided on a sports themed Valentine box. He put a magnet on the post, to open up the box. We made the net out of yarn.

Kids in the class dropped their valentines in through the net to score 2 pts. Cayden scored a few extra valentine treats as some kids in his class wanted another try to shoot in a valentine.
His design won "Most Creative" and "Best Design".

His box scored!

True to her artsy side, Madalyn decorated an empty #10 can into the hottest

color of the month:
RED HOT VALENTINE.

Instructions on the side of the can read.

DO take internally.

Avoid prolonged contact with skin; chew and swallow immediately.

Keep from freezing.

Close container after each use.

KEEP in reach of children.

When Things Like This Happen...

At night, late at night, I find the time to finally be alone with my thoughts, without feeling guilty for being with my kids but not being with them. I pick up a bit, pick at my face, pull out the graham crackers and indulge in a cup of whole milk. Sometimes I get caught up on things but usually I whittle away my sleep time during the time warp that occurs when I am online.

Just before Christmas, Randy and I stopped by Deseret Book in Bellevue after attending a temple session. We spent some time perusing the books. I came across a beautiful baptism book, opened it up and found out the creator/author is an old friend from an old bunko group. Sara Staker. Other than mentally noting that's the baptism book I am getting for Cayleb and Makenzy, I wanted to send her an e-mail. "Hello. It's been awhile. Your book is gorgeous."

Tonight I finally found the time.

It's been a little while, so I couldn't remember her contact info.

I typed in her name, her location, and the web found her.

Found her family blog too.

Wow, I started to read, then cried, then thanked my Heavenly Father for not giving me her current challenge.

I thanked Him for my children,

my husband,

for keeping an eye out for them when I didn't.,

or even when I did.

I thanked Him for the blessings and miracles that happen everyday.

About 10 days ago, their family had a terrible, horrible accident.

Read here for perspective and how miracles still happen.

http://www.stakerzxposed.blogspot.com/

Twelve Days Of Christmas

When the doorbell rings, the kids run to see who is there; usually it is a friend, sometimes a package, and this time around, for 12 nights a little gift and witty phrases. It was the 12 days of Christmas. Oh Christmas joy!

We've been the givers, but never the receivers. The kids pretty much thought the receiving was great.

This year we, o.k. mostly me, decided to spend Christmas at home instead of on the road. Though we were all pretty o.k. with not spending the holiday with family this year, we must admit we had a touch of the holiday blues. Now instead of counting down the nights

O.k. so back to the mystery of who and why.

We seriously wondered who it was. The first note, let us know that they would leave the gift and run AND then call on the phone. Being the sleuths that we think we are, Randy and I wrote down the numbers. After the initial cloak of Christmas secrecy waned, we'd follow up with a call to the mystery numbers several weeks later, uncover our secret Santas and feel satisfied in knowing who had brought such holiday excitement this year.

But lucky us, we didn't have to go to all that work. On Christmas eve, we received the last of our gifts and found out our friends the Minors were behind the fun. Consequently, the day before, we took Maddy with us to see the gingerbread houses, we told her the CD we had playing, "Yule be Merry" was a gift on one of the nights. She was sooo good, not to let the secret out. We seriously had no idea it was her family!

DeeDee's mom passed away last year following a battle with cancer, days before Christmas. They were so close. It was a whirlwind. This year was the first real Christmas without her mom, without grandma. A shimmering gold ornament Christmas tree using all her mom's decorations lit up their front window. And a nightly planning and commitment to do the 12 days to us, a semi-orphan family too, kept them busy.

Sorry Rob your eyes were closed in all the pics.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Minor's we soooooo appreciated an added element of magic to our holidays.

I also loved the twist you added, including a resin character to a nativity set on various nights. By the end of the 12 days, we had a complete nativity set and manger! It will definitely be a part of our holiday decorations each year. Thank you, thank you again. Your thoughtfulness is forever a part of our Christmas memories.

Gingerbread Houses

Reflections

BEAUTY IS....

Madalyn won 1st place for her literature entry. She wrote a thoughtful and expressive poem about a girl discovering her own inner beauty.

Winning entries.

Prior to the award ceremony, we had a "gallery stroll" for participants and guests. This is Madalyn with her friend, Sydney.

Afterwards, refreshments.

I am a huge proponent of the arts. I think the beauty of art, music, and dance totally inspire. In fact, at our last elementary I made a purchase at the annual quick draw and donated it to the school to be hung in the front entry. Now a vibrant Utah arch painted by a local artist fills the old spot of the once tiny, drab picture that hung there.

Our old primary room had only 1 picture. In the back of the room. So I purchased a picture of the Mt. Timpanogos temple, which was 5 min. from our home, and temples were also the primary focus that year, pleaded with Bishop Gray and his wife (who framed the picture for me) to tell the f.m. (facilities management guy) to hang it up. Within 3 weeks, 2 other beautiful pictures also were hung in the primary room.

So I love art.

Volunteered to help with Reflections. Helping turned into being chairperson. For the last two years, the program has grown substantially. It just needed a little push. Thanks to the judges and those that helped this year!

Pacific Northwest Ballet Nutcracker

I took my Madalyn McCall to McCaw Hall to see the Nutcracker for her birthday. Makayla came too as a a birthday guest. I've seen the Miss Margene's dance school's Nutcracker, nice but not quite the same as this.

Sitting on the fourth row, we were able to see all the set and costume detail. The sets were designed by Maurice Sendak, author of "Where the Wild Things Are." It was also wild to find out that the construction of a tutu can take up to 200 hours of labor and cost around $5,000.

All day with my big girls, we ate out, rode the monorail into the shopping district, bought shoes, ate out again, and added one more memory to our family cache.

The magic set in when the Clara and the Nutcracker walk from the Stahlbaum drawing room out into the Land of Snow. The lighting, the dancing, it was so real, so ethereal.

The girls were most entertained by the Pasha's dancers, a Moorish couple, a brilliant peacock in a gold cage, a Chinese tiger and his attendants, whirling dervishes, three commedia dell-arte characters, a spirited dance performed by tiny couples, and a waltz danced by girls dressed in the colors of spring flowers.

65 amazing talented musicians. Though they might try, I don't think digitized music will ever replace the thick richness of a real orchestra.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADALYN! We love you, your our HOME!

Bellevue Botanical Garden

Mrs. Hogan, Madalyn's teacher, told us the Botanical Gardens are a must see.

We went. It was crazy crowded. Officers directing traffic, waiting for a parking spot. But ah, so beautiful. Art in lights. It was amazing. Incredible talented people.

There was a purple clematis ladder, frogs, alligators, swans, butterflies, dragonflies and peacocks hiding in the lights. A tropical garden among the Rhody Glen.

My pictures are lame. It was so beautiful.

After we went, I learned that you can volunteer to help out with making the lights for this display. I absolutely want to next year, so I can learn to make my own winter garden.

Point Definace Zoo Lights

Before we left, the kids were complaining. We've already seen lights.

We've been to the zoo, we don't want to go again. It will be so boring and it is raining.

"No" I promised, it will be fun. "Plus I want to go so you get to go to!"

It is definitely Christmas. On the way down, Makayla spotted "Elf Storage." Cayleb asked if that is where the elves keep some of the toys. I answered, "Probably, there is a lot of stuff to store for Christmas." He didn't know the "S" was burned out.
Once they saw this, they were happy!

The jaws of life, sort of.

When we come to the zoo, we tactfully avert the merry-go-round until we are about ready to leave.

Why?

Because once Makenzy gets on she doesn't want to get off. With our annual zoo pass, she can go an unlimited number of times. However, during Zoo Lights there is a $1 fee per ride. She got her turn, just not as many as she wanted.

A Random Day

Days I don't need to bring a towel to wipe down the slides are good park days. Mild winters are good park days too.

Time to stretch the legs.

Run.

Enjoy being a kid. Enjoy being a mom.

She loves swings. Not a lot of parks here have them. Too dangerous. So we savor the parks that do.

How far down is the train?

Balance.

A balanced day.

A little play time.

A little outdoor time.

A little kid time.

Balance.

He's always had a great arm.

A skill I especially noted when he got his metal die cast Thomas the Train set that he chucked, threw, and hurled many, many times. Dented cabinets reveal his accuracy and strength.

Today, like many the many days we come here, it is pine cones through the blue arches. He thinks he invented the game. He's taught his friends. He taught me. He doesn't think I am a very good. I agree. He says I should keep practicing and then I'll be good like him. I think I will.

Trahla,la,la at Winter Fest

The Sopranos-

The Bass and maybe some sopranos -

Makayla's school choir singing during Winter Fest at the Seattle Center.

Makayla signed up for all year choir. It's not quite One Voice Children's Choir she used to sing in, the spin off from the 2002 Olympic Children's choir, but it isn't bad. She really enjoys her choir teacher, who tried out for American Idol when it came to Seattle, is very patient and has picked a range of songs that appeals to the kids.

Before they sang, they all went ice skating, FUN.

Randy came over on his lunch break to see Makayla sing and literally snatched up the kids.

Afterward, Cayleb was in control of the village train display for 3 loops, that's all the suggested $2 donation allowed. He loved it. He could make it stop and go, and stop and go, and stop and go.