Monday, March 17, 2008

Our Weekend

I purposely have been avoiding any superfluous computer usage over the past week...can you tell? I was pretty good and actually caught up on some business paperwork and spent a ton of time outside with the kids so it was all good. Here are some photos from the weekend.

Rob unloading the Xtracycle from our weekly grocery shopping (I don't know if I've blogged about our attempt to do one big shopping trip a week, usually done by Rob, supplemented by one or two produce runs when we run out of fresh fruits/veggies). Dema went with him (riding on the snap deck in front of the toilet paper), but was too quick to jump off and show me his new helmet so he isn't in the pic. They went to Strawberry Fields and World Harvest before hitting the bike shop.

Parker and his neighborhood pals worked all day Sunday (they took a break to have lunch at our house with my dad, sister, and her boyfriend) on a pretty impressive stick house. This is how it looked when they took the break. It looked even better later...good enough to sleep in if it wasn't so cold out at night. I love the projects they get into in the park. It is so much fun having my eight year old come in and ask if he can use a shovel, hammer, and nails. I said no, but it is fun hearing what they come up with and I think they did a grand job without any potentially dangerous tools.

Our friend Susan gave Parker a cool light experiment kit for a belated birthday present and here are the guys working on the projects. They are learning all sorts of stuff about color theory which I am happy to hand off to Rob so I don't have to wrap my mind around it right now. Parker loves stuff like this.

I've been cooking a lot, but not taking pictures so I wouldn't be tempted to spend time blogging. Most of it has been repeats of things I've blogged about before and we are making lots and lots of smoothies. I know I mentioned that our new blender broke while I was making hummus from Veganomicon. Breville was wonderful and sent us new and improved blender which is working beautifully, the new design is easier to get apart and clean, and it holds up great to being used a couple times a day. Last night we entered the dark world of Harry Potter thanks to Dema and Rob going to the movie store unsupervised so we had to drink mango smoothies (frozen mangoes, hemp milk, bananas) and eat nooch popcorn (air-popped popcorn, nutritional yeast, sea salt, olive oil, and hot sauce for some of us) while we watched. Today Rob realized why I always said no to HP in the past. I don't know why he doesn't just listen to me.
I'll leave you with Parker carrying Josie in my new organic cotton Ergo. One of this year's projects is to get rid of that wallpaper. Parker loves to carry her around, but she is getting heavy and squirmy so the Ergo is just the ticket.

9 comments:

The Fearless Freak said...

Have you guys read the books or just watched the movies? C and I have been reading the books for the last year (at least, it takes a VERY long time to multiple hundreds of pages at 9 or 10 pages a night LOL).

We do family "milkshake and movie night" where I make milkshakes and we watch a movie together. C started by picking the entire Star Wars series (talk about BORING) and we have followed it up with Harry Potter. So far, we are on movie 3 and are reading book 5 but we can't watch the movie until we finish the book.

VeganLinda said...

Well, this is the funny part. I've read three of the books myself, but Parker has never been interested (still thinks it is scary). Dema on the other hand, begs for "scary movies" and fell in love with HP when playing a video game at the library with friend. So, Rob just grabs Order of the Phoenix...like that would be a good place to start or something. I know, someone talk to him please.

I do like family movie night though. Even if we do have to all cuddle around my little computer screen.

Rob is reading Dragon Rider to the kids right now and they love it, but you are right it takes a while.

Loretta said...

What? You were taking time off from the internet? Whatever could have caused you to do that? ;)

Parker and his pals are so creative. That is one very cool stick house!

We love the HP books (and movies)--David and I read all seven books out loud to one another, and I can't wait to share them with Kieran and Teagan when they're much older. But the fifth movie/book is a pretty confusing (and honestly very scary) place to start! We saw The Golden Compass in the theater before Teagan was born and realized what it must be like to watch Harry Potter without reading the books b/c there was a lot going on that we didn't understand. Needless to say, that trilogy is currently sitting in my "to read" pile. I mean, for after I finish my thesis, of course... :)

One last funny thing in this absurdly long comment...I clicked on your link to Billy's blog and read his five things and left a comment. Turns out we went to the same college and our time there overlapped by a couple of years and we have several mutual friends although we don't think we directly know one another. What a small world!

Billy said...

Wow, good for you for restricting your computer usage time. I couldn't do that. :) Haha.

the sandwich life said...

Leo absolutely refuses to read Harry Potter...he is adamently opposed....of course Leo has no shortage of strong opinions....

Leighann of Multi-Minding Mom said...

I've been lusting after the Ergo. I really, really, really want one! Just don't want to plunk down that chunk of change. Especially when I have a perfectly good organic Mei Tai collecting dust (that was my husband's voice). We used his structured backpack hiking carrier last weekend, but when the little guy fell asleep he was slumped over. Poor thing. I wish I could find a used one or hand-me-down.

VeganLinda said...

Leeanthro,

I sell used ones too. I also rent them out and if you end up buying one the rent is applied to the purchase. I highly recommend people rent them before buying because different carriers are better for different people. I usually rent them out about three times and then sell them as used so they are very *gently* used, but the price of used. I also do free personal one on one classes (or groups) to help people learn how to use different carriers.

VeganLinda said...

Loretta,

I love absurdly long comments! How funny about Billy! It is a small, small world.

Billy,

It is tough, but I did have to check email for the business. It is kind of nice taking a break. I might make a computer "fast" a part of my routine.

Cynthia,

That makes me laugh about Leo. I adore him. Parker was very upset when Rob and Dema came home with HP because he is with Leo on this one. Dema is running around casting spells as I type. We're in for some fun times with my second born.

The Fearless Freak said...

"I highly recommend people rent them before buying because different carriers are better for different people."

I whole heartedly agree with this comment! When Lizzie was little, I tried a Kozy that everyone is all over the moon about and found out I HATED it. I didn't have her in it 20 minutes before I was completely done with it. If I hadn't been able to try, I likely would have plunked down a big chunk of money and been really mad.

In the end, I tried a Mei Tai Baby and LOVED it. I can still carry Lizzie (who is almost 3 and 35 lbs) on my back for short periods of time in it. It will sit for months and I think "I should really sell this" and then a need arises and I decide to keep it for awhile longer :)