5 A Day Challenge - Day 3 (sunrise edition)

Unfortunately the documentation for today (um yesterday) in no way reflects our actual day.  After an attempt at normalcy for mama (work, library, Costco, etc.) I eventually collapsed into bed with a 103 fever and faced the reality that this round of nasty virus is kicking my butt.  Also, our beloved Sabrina ran away and Ben and I were hoping the kids wouldn't notice until we had a chance to thoroughly search the neighborhood.  Luckily Ben found her in the bushes behind our fence and by the looks on the kids faces (and Ava's profuse crying at the THOUGHT of her being gone) I am so glad we didn't have to have the, your cat is lost, conversation.  In spite of all this I did manage to get a few random takes of the day.

 Oh the joy these two have for each other.

 Ava refuses to let me leave the house without the bracelet she made me since she's convinced it's going to make me feel better.   p.s. it kind of does

 I really should videotape the sheer joy these two express when I tell them we're going to the library.  I mean we go every single week but you would think I was taking them to Disneyland by the epic enthusiasm.

Sadly there isn't a photo of mama in the corner wearing a sweater and a coat pulled over her head while shaking and wondering why the room is spinning.  Next time.

5 A Day Challenge - Day 2

I'm calling bloggers perogative with a 6 photo cheat.  First day of summer vacation for the littles who woke up to rainy skies.  Fortunately it was a box of Froot Loops to the rescue.  

 Do other families have vacation cereals or is it just a weird Hsieh tradition?

 Please m'aam can you spare a few hours for two orphan children?

 "No we don't need to go home and take naps.  We're not tired!"

The upside to a flu/laryngitis outbreak is that I get a front row seat to the Sonny and Cher show.

Tickets are free and include a reading from Charlotte's Web, a booty dance and a fake fart-off.  You know you want in.

5 A Day Challenge- Day 1

Ok, maybe this will get me back in my blogging groove.  Five small slices of the everyday.  Easy enough right?

Today was the last day of 1st grade.  This girl is a firecracker of a reader and worked through many tears to get better at Spanish this year.  I am one super proud mama.

She absolutely loved her teacher Mr. Callero.  Luckily we found out he's moving up to third grade so she might get him in two years.

After picking up Ava from school we had to head over for my students graduation party.  Here's a classic take of one of my pensive kiddos.  

E:  "Teacher Rebekah, did you know that my new nickname is bluebird?"

Me:  "No, who calls you bluebird?"

E:  "nobody"

This gas station smoked chicken is so wrong it's right.

You're right honey.  Those jammies do fit you perfectly.

deep wells and watersheds

I'm not sure if it's by perception or reality but my days have always seemed defined by extremes.  As soon as a chapter is decided I am flooded by seemingly two alternatives:  freedom or constraint.  None of that was clearer than when I went back into the classroom.  Before the ink was dry on the contract my air seized up.  Adding to that my decision to pursue a rigorous teaching license and freedom was a thing of the past.  My tribe definitely rallied this year as mama's hours and energies were spent away on other mama's children who needed me more.  Out of the last hundred nights, less than ten were spent on the familiar corner of the couch my best friend and a pint of ice cream.  Some days love was a tired hug while loading the dishwasher.  I spent Sunday mornings singing through songs of hope and grace with blurred eyes. 

 I wish I could see the gray area in these seasons of life.  Do I have to re-frame my expectations every day?  Apparently yes.  I am just going to admit that I will never figure it out.  That there will always be sacrifice and joy and forgiveness and small acts of obedience followed by deep rebellion.  This is my life every day.  Reminding myself that worship is a task of surrender.  It is so tempting to hang all of my hopes onto long summer days but I don't want to be the girl who's joy is wrapped up in circumstances, even if they are laced in nap swings on a Tuesday afternoon and white sand beaches.  I want to receive the grace to be present in the messiness of angry kids crying in my lap and parents who are out of answers.  I want to be ok in the broken and not long for the easy way out.  

So I will breathe His name deeply each morning as I drive in and I will ask Him to do the work I feel so ill equipped to do.  I will continue to comb these days for beauty and strain for joy in the chaos. 

Fish Fry*

If I decided to be real for a minute here on this little space of mine I would be posting pics of our true spring "vacation."  Including but not limited to the photo of Ben fixing the toilet, the front row parking spot snagged at Costco, soccer practice, Ian's not quite pink eye, and me logging 40 plus hours in bed working on my national teaching license. Fortunately B decided enough was enough and planned us a family getaway to smooth the rocky non-break-break waters.  So, with the promise of a hot tub I packed my swimsuit and climbed aboard the Hsiehwagon.
With the what-why-where and how's all covered I only had to read my In Style and complain to my understanding husband that I don't own enough nautical themed clothing.  Now on a normal day I would be the first one scouring trip advisor to find the best scones and can't miss vintage hat shops but man it was liberating to barely even know where we were going.
Which as it turned out was Astoria.  We've always talked about witnessing where the mighty Columbia crashes her way into the Pacific and it's a surprisingly short drive. The forecast called for 100% showers but this privileged spouse of mine has yet to see an hour of rain on the Oregon Coast.  He still cannot believe what all us natives are complaining about.  I swear that the clouds parted as we pulled into the deserted parking lot and we spent an hour wandering under sunny-enough skies.  It was exactly the kind of beauty we all needed this week.

 100 year old shipwreck on the beach was little boo's major highlight

Mama's just enjoying the ride

 captain Ian

 our album cover

 Miss A's highlight was hide and go seek in the grass

 Wandering, collecting, breathing, hiding, laughing, exploring

 Isn't there some saying about how climbing 350 stairs to the top of an old lighthouse cures pink eye?  Poor sweet boy did not get to play his sick card on this trip.  We owe you one buddy.

 almost there

 he did get to do this cool tradition of flying a wooden airplane off the top

 I see it!

 We rocked Astoria!

 And after exploring the cable, free breakfast, and two trips to the pool riches of the Best Western we packed up and headed home.  Our new M.O. of travel is to get a little bit lost and then use some navigation to find our way home.  This time we decided to take this cool bridge up to Washington.

 The windy road along the Columbia was so breathtaking I couldn't even finish my In Style.  

It is hard to express how much I needed to go off script for a few days.  But even though we logged some miles in the Hsieh adventure book I've got my eyes on the bigger prize, and it's only 70 days away.

*As in bigger fish to fry.  As in summer vacation.  As in being off of work for 10 straight weeks.  As in having nothing to do but pick berries, bake pie, sleep in, swim, and travel.  B thinks I need to be a little clearer in my titles.

R-ava-lation

Ava:  Mommy, I wish I knew when the world was going to end.

Me: Why?

Ava:  So I could make sure we were all together holding hands when we go up to heaven.

Me:  I understand that feeling very well.

Ava:  I don't think the world is ever going to end though because people keep having babies.

Me:  Well I don't think the world is going to end.  I think God is going to make it a perfect and beautiful place when He is ready.

Ava:  Yay!!!  Ian, God's going to make our house out of gummy bears!

Me:  Yes, exactly.  Theology lesson.  Done and done.

house arrest

Well its more of the same around these parts.  Our world is a one-inch white blanket of snow.  Time has lost any real meaning.  There are whispers of school being cancelled again tomorrow, or not if the rain washes it all away in time.  Either way I'm just hoping I remember how to do regular things like put on makeup and navigate my way through a grocery store.  The wee babes have pioneered like snow days are their Olympic destiny.   

Let's just admit that this is what I've looked like for some 75 odd hours.  Mmmm-kay.  If the non-washing-dressing-shaving snowstorm streak continues Ben is in for a treat of a Valentine's Day.

Ian:  Mommy, my teacher Alicia said that she left her coffee in her car overnight and it froze!

Me:  Cool!

Ian:  Yeah, lets put a bunch of coffee outside tonight and see what happens.

Me:  How about water?

Ian:  Ok!

 Sabrina loves a good science experiment

And of course the long days call for a little crafting.

We attempted a walk to justify all of our hot chocolate intake, which promptly ended in an Ian faceplant 

 I so won that snowball fight but lost the argument for implants

Pulling out the big guns tools with daddy

Desperate times

Today we rallied into non-flannel and journeyed far and wide walked over 2 houses for the cutest 3 year old ever's birthday party.  Chocolate pancakes with ice cream for breakfast + crafts + the Frozen soundtrack on repeat = a rockin good time had by all.  Happy birthday sweetie pie!

Kat & the gang

So if you would have told me a week ago that I would be I would be intimately involved with the details of olympic athletes or that I would even know what an event called the skeleton was, or that I would have sewn an actual dress with my daughter and had time to organize my craft box I would have given you my crazy look (see above photo).  Thankfully I am not one to easily dismiss the joys of a five day hibernation.  Maybe ask me again if this is still the case a week from now, but these wonky rhythms are right up my heated-down-comforter-and-no-alarm-clock alley.