the white house at the right time

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. A...

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 Da...

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,...

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 S antas an...

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 manage...

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 attenda...

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.

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.

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.

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.