Our House in the Middle of Our Street

Kids taking a rest while I read aloud to them the current issues of Click and Ladybug magazines This month was over in a flash! I can't believe how our four weeks of summer have just flown by, but I suppose I should know better by now. We plan tons of days with friends, library and bike time, and just generally have a ball. I was off to a great start with my reading at the beginning of the month, but due to 2 seasons of TV shows that I love becoming available at the library (finally!) the last 10 days or so I've been camped in front of the computer, watching episode after episode. Little time left for reading, but I have a ton of books lined up in the queue for July, that I'm excited to read to the kids, and those to myself during quiet time. Here's June's finished titles: * The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman -- This book was fabulous, and everything I love in a nonfiction book: easy to read, relevant anecdotes, full of science

 Lukka enjoying a Big Al's burger and onion strings! Last week I did Lukka's yearly birthday interview and this week I'm sharing what we did for his 8th birthday, as we stretched it out over the weekend. We don't do massive parties (mostly because of energy levels and finances) but we do like to give our kids a treat and celebrate them with things they like or want to do, and who with. When Lukka asked for a friend party this year, we knew we'd have a small willing crowd, I just had to come up with some activities for us to do that they would all enjoy, and also do it cheaply.  One of the first things I did in preparation for the party was to look on pinterest and find some cheap and easy outdoor games. I found one that used pool noodles, balloons, and baskets that I thought would be fun and appropriate. Balloons cost about $1-2/bag and pool noodles are roughly $2/piece. I cut all the pool noodles in half so I'd only have to buy 4 for all the kids i

Quarry Rock hike refuel As of June 21, I have an 8 year old. WHAT? I know people like to tell families with babies and toddlers that the years fly by (and you want to growl at those people because you're covered in yesterdays spit-up), but honestly, the years didn't fly by until Ani hit about 3, and Lukka was 5. Now, they are warp-speed! I get it. Those infancy years seem to lag , but these days? I am just barely keeping up with their activities, interests, excitement, and abilities! Hence, my son turning 6 8.  I love the idea of Birthday Interviews to see how they change from year to year, and you can revisit Lukka's  previous interviews  here (7), and here (6), and see another birthday (5).  We love you, Lukka! I have no idea. He was excited! *Where do you live?  Ft. Langley in Canada *What is your favorite food? Macaroni & cheese *What is your favorite drink?  soft drinks (Sprite) *What is your favorite color?  blue or green *What is you

view of Bellingham Bay from Boulevard Park Last week the kids and I spent an entire day in  Bellingham, WA, and mostly, we spent it at the beach near Boulevard Park . The sun was shining and there was blue blue blue everywhere! It was a warm day, but not horribly hot that you had to stay in the water. A cool breeze was blowing through and after we got our three or four errands done, I parked myself with a book on a bench, a picnic table, and then in the grass on my blanket while the kids played at the park, in the sand, and rested quietly while listening to me read aloud.  new sunnies! It was one of the best days we've had in awhile. I took them to Chipotle for lunch (a rare treat for us now that we don't live by one!), we had plenty of food and water for the entire afternoon, and aside from a bit of grumbling about sunscreen application, these kids had an absolute ball playing on the rocks, in the sand, and just enjoying the gorgeous view of the bay nearby. I

Lukka taking a sip from his new camel pack Whoop! I've already gotten to a few of my 15 in 2015 list   goals and have more in the works, but I'm excited to share not only one achieved but a beautiful place near us as well. Deep Cove is a little village tucked away in North Vancouver, and it's high season in the summer, when everyone from the city wants a good hike a quick drive or bike ride away. There are paddle board and kayak rentals, swimming, a park, and plenty of amazing views. Our family had been to Deep Cove before but only to check it out, we'd never actually hiked around in the trees up there, but come summer there are tons of hikers on the Quarry Rock trail! the view from atop Quarry Rock This hike is considered an easy trail but I'm finding out that means very little to this midwestern, sea-level-all-my-life girl. "Easy" started off with a huge climb atop some beautiful tree roots, and held a lot of up and down stairs throughout

a view of Deep Cove I've been storing up good links for weeks and I have a slew of goodies for you today. These are all links that I was informed, inspired, awed, or excited by, and I hope you enjoy them just as much! * Drone footage inside the largest cave in the world * Read you way to a love of math book list for ages 4-12 *Hipster Business name generator : brilliant. * This On Being episode with Maria Popova was probably the best podcast episode (and I listen to a lot) I've heard in the last month or two. Probably the best title for a job, " cartographer of meaning ", Popova... " cross-pollinates — between philosophy and design, physics and poetry, the intellectual and the experiential. " (taken from the website) *Love Harry Potter? Confirmation that a spinoff is coming! And Eddie Redmayne is officially on board. #AllTheFeels *Mental Floss is the best magazine out there, in my humble opinion. Here's a great list of the 16 Coolest