this weekend

was a nice end to the school break. Karin came up and she and Max were able to get out to dinner and go to the Dave Eggers and Valentino Achak Deng reading. Yesterday we were to have a day to ourselves but G wasn't feeling well (the night before and in the morning. course was fine by 9am) so our plan was altered a bit. So he joined us for lunch and when Karin took me to get my eyebrows waxed @ Akari. is it strange that I found it incredibly peaceful? Enjoyable even.

I am concerned that G and Max are lactose intolerant. Let me change that, I know G is and think Max is. I am taking away all dairy for a week. Max is miserable, he really loves dairy. I hope for his sake he isn't'. or... I hope he is like Matt and can still eat yogurt and drink that lactose free milk (he HATES soy milk as much as I hate cow milk).

it's almost Max's b'day. 14 years old. Because of Florida and NY he is going to nix the b'day party this year. He has requested I make the dinosaur cake I made him when he was 4. this should be interesting.

We lose out again

Here it is a week after Whole Foods opened here in Portland. I was excited about the money we residents would save from their price wars.... not happening. Now that Whole Foods bought out Wild Oats there will be no price wars... Wild Oats is due to close in 3 mos (what I heard from a employee at local store). So now we have no local store, no price wars, no Trader Joe's.

* Update*

I just read that W.O.'s may stay open for longer than I first heard. Still I am sad that W.F.'s is such a mega corporation. Buying out it's competitors.

scrotum scrotum scrotum scrotum

So the ridiculous ride that The Higher Power of Lucky the 2006 Newberry award winner has been on found it's way into The New York Times (there is follow up dialogue on this in the papers more recent letters. I am a bit late in putting this on the blog....sorry). This is a wonderful book that is being censored by librarians because it uses the word scrotum on the first page. Of course if they read the book beyond the first page their opinions may change. It's a story of a young girl searching for truth.

My family loved the book and Gabriel's reaction to finding out the meaning of the offending word. He fell off his chair laughing.

more confusion

We had a wonderful time in Boston. Karin's event was crowded but great. The museum is beautiful and she looked lovely!
The evening before, Joelle, Karin and I saw a great movie . I know what you are thinking... me seeing a movie while it's still in the theatres. shocking. I really loved the movie but the last scene really bothered me. Karin too. guess it wasn't actually the last scene but how they lingered on the last shot.
The kids had a blast with their cousins. was able to spend some time with Deb. Saw Janice and Emmy for a moment. (hopefully I will see Emmy before she leaves for Italy ). Watched dumb tv with mom and Eva.
I miss them so much. On the drive home to Portland I felt so sad. Aidan asked again, why can't we live closer to family. I play these scenarios over and over in my head.... us trying to pay Boston prices, finding a community with good schools, the over crowded everything, more stores for me to wish I could shop in but can't afford. These are all good reasons for not living there...it just seems to get harder and harder. I love Portland. it is my home. I just miss my other home.

checking out the new store

I finally made it over to the new market in town. We now have a Whole Foods. On the whole I like it but I like the feel of Wild Oats better. It's smaller, nicer colors and the layout is easier to navigate. The store brand is very reasonably priced and they did have lot's of options. I didn't have time to get something from the non-grocery area but will try that soon.
That's my story for the day.

oh my...

this cracks me up...

Batman Sighting Puts Schools on Lockdown


SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- To an Arizona middle school, Batman! Three schools in the north Phoenix suburb of Cave Creek were on lockdown for about 45 minutes Wednesday morning after a student at Desert Arroyo Middle School reported seeing a person dressed as Batman run across campus, jump a fence and disappear into the desert, Scottsdale police Sgt. Mark Clark said.
The student described the person as 6 feet 3 inches tall and possibly male.
"We're assuming it was male, although they did have a mask on," Clark said.
Officers combed the desert around the middle school. A nearby elementary school and high school also were on lockdown as officers sought the caped crusader.
The result - no Batman.
"It's just one of those interesting little stories that we looked into but we couldn't find anyone," Clark said.
Nedda Shafir, a spokeswoman for the Cave Creek Unified School District, said putting all the schools on lockdown was a precautionary measure.
"We didn't want to take any chances," Shafir said. "We just don't want to put anyone at risk."

Look what the Valentine BunnyClaus brought us

This weekend Joelle, Sammy and Z were here. So much fun. We are all so crazy in love with them. I am really sad we are not closer. I wish we were around the corner from them and Ethan.

Sammy was obsessed with Ari guitar.

Aidan said that when they are around he feels younger because it reminds him of when Ari and G were babies. I must say that having htem around does give me a new appreciation for how self sufficient my are.

I heart PhotoMarket

They fixed my camera.

I am happy

oh... the sorrow

i know i said I would post happy things but that was before this:

last night I wanted to take some test shots of Ethan for the proposal I am working on and discovered that my camera does not work. I have narrowed it down to a why but not sure if it can be fixed. I will take it in tomorrow. I have heard that if it is possible to fix it could cost between $350-500. Since my the technology of my camera is a bit passe it would not be a good choice. But I cannot afford a new camera. I do not think I can live without a camera. What if I get a job? What if this book happens?


I love my camera. My brother and father bought it for me.

watch this

pretty amazing/sad. I sometimes think we are further ahead than we really are.

Seems I have posting depressing stuff lately. Here is some good news:

- Max is better
- Chris and G did get the flu but it didnt' last long
- My Mom and Ethan are here
- We are going to order a pizza for dinner and make smoothies
- Karin's job seems good

I am sure that there is more good things to report but that's all I can think of right now.