ECHOBABY

Being the Big One

2012-01-27T11:34:00.000-08:00

This morning I am googling "how reseat toilet". The toilet in our 'family' bathroom has started leaking blue water onto the tiles. It didn't bother me terribly until Joshua taped the lid shut with blue tape and I decided something should be done. Josh said he will fix the toilet this weekend. I know he can, probably, because he fixed one before when Frost flushed his toothbrush down it and

Hiding the Garbage Day

2012-01-26T08:22:00.000-08:00

Its garbage day, the day I wake to the sound of heaving and grinding of gears drifting and receding through the sound of rain. The noise always gives me a shot of adrenaline as my sleeping mind catches up with the meaning of the sound and asks "Have you put the garbage out?" in dread that, as is sometimes the case, I have forgotten. The bump and grind of garbage day. As the big green trucks

Breath Arising, Kids Arising

2012-01-24T22:05:00.000-08:00

A shrine in the forest at Cloud Mountain Retreat Center Yesterday, I returned from a 72 hour silent-retreat in a snowy forest center near Portland. It was lovely but life is a study in contrast and silence has a way of making noise more... well... noisy. Coming home, one of the of things I have noticed is how frantic and noisy my boys are. I am saying that without judgement, really.

No, I am not going to start blogging my dreams but...

2012-01-20T08:06:00.000-08:00

... just this once, I want to. I had this dream last night that I visited a township in South Africa. It was a shanty-town and there were many homes side-by-side. Somehow I ended up in the studio of an artist I have admired for a long while. The studio was all disorganized and casual. I was really impressed - seeing the artworks that had been displayed in Roq La Rue gallery only weeks

Can a mother have a life of the mind?

2012-01-19T20:33:00.000-08:00

As I sat down to write this post both boys burst into the office drowning out the hum of the heater and the quietly brutal cries of Josh's Star Wars computer game. "Can we have bars for desert?" they asked, carrying the tin of energy bars and protein boosting nut bars I keep for lunches and emergency hungers. "No" said Joshua. "Those are for snacks." "Awwwww..." they both sighed, crestfallen.

Slush, snow, freezing rain

2012-01-19T11:36:00.000-08:00

I need to enhance my vocabulary for snow. SNOW doesn't really do justice to the nuances of white stuff that we've enjoyed in Seattle over the past 4 days. Seattle doesn't do well with snow. I mean, sure, we love it but normal routines stop: schools close, many people don't make it in to office jobs and my bank declared "rolling closure due to unseasonal weather conditions." In Seattle's

Snowmageddon, Slushmageddon?

2012-01-16T19:07:00.000-08:00

There has been another day of light snow chez nous. We enjoyed the cold - the icicles that formed on our rain chain as the melting snow refroze overnight - and managed to get outside a few times at least. The nicest thing about snow is the feeling of being on vacation when you're at home. We can look out any window and it feels as if we are in another country, a strange and special place where

Boy Vs Nature

2012-01-15T23:50:00.000-08:00

I was playing with iMovie and made this up. Sorry for the abrupt ending. I ran out of time :)

Big Snow (for Seattle)

2012-01-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

Japanese Maple in our front yard My family in the sub-tropics thinks of Seattle as a zone of evergreens and snowy vistas. My family in the mid-west think we are all about rain. The truth is that Seattle has some clear but non-traditional seasons known only to those who live here. They are: Blazing heat and Drought Season: August Thank god its started raining / Oh god I am so depressed

Hiking Little Si

2012-01-15T15:59:00.000-08:00

Frost walks with funny hands because his gloves are too tight. On Friday I took the boys to hike the Little Si Trail near North Bend. Mt Si is an eye-catching peak as you approach the final climb to Snoqualmie Pass. It looms over the valley at North Bend as a wall of green in early winter or a wall of snow hung pines later in the year. Snow was forecast for the next day but trail reports

I am a bad mother of a kid with a heart defect

2012-01-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

This morning I checked my calendar to confirm plans for Wren's cardiology clinic this month. I thought it was on the 24th of January but I couldn't find it in the calendar. It has been a whole year since the last checkup. At Wren's last appointment we saw that his gradient (measuring the level of constriction) at his aortic valve was relatively stable, or if worsening doing so at a rate that

Adventures in the land of the Snowy Owl

2012-01-02T22:39:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I cajoled the kids into a small adventure up to the Skagit Wildlife area in search of Snowy Owls. Typically, snowy owls live in the arctic but have been seen locally as part of a rare irruption into the region. There was even one seen on the roof of the Ballard Library (I missed it). NOT my picture: From MyBallard.com 12/29/2011 We drove out at 2pm into light rain and

You are Not My Mother

2011-12-31T22:36:00.000-08:00

Frost had two soccer games today and Wren and I took a walk outside at halftime. It was bitterly cold so I wrapped a shawl around my head. Wren was upset by this. He said, "You look like a person from another land! You are not my mother! Take it OFF NOW!" He was so disturbed that I decided that I shall wear headscarves more often, perhaps wear saris from time to time and flaunt a bit of

Happy Birthday Jesus and Me

2011-12-28T12:16:00.000-08:00

Its almost time for the after-holiday blues. Wren's birthday is over, Christmas is over, my birthday is over and everyone knows that New Year doesn't really exist for people with kids (who can get a good babysitter on New Year's Eve and even if they could, who would want to go out and stay up late rather than sleep?) So really, for me, 2012 has begun and if I can say so - I have high hopes!

Wren's Teeth

2011-12-26T17:03:00.000-08:00

This morning Wren had his first crown. It is silver and he is quite proud of it. Joshua said "you are now a cyborg because you have a metal tooth" While we were scooting Wren asked: "Mom, is my tooth made of metal?" I replied that it was made of surgical steel. "It IS made of metal Dad!" he said gleefully. "I have a metal tooth!" Enthusiasm aside, Wren is just five years old so its

Badass Poser

2011-12-22T00:02:00.000-08:00

Every now and again the boys turn the music on loud and "do a dance party." Other times, Wren suddenly decides to dress "like a bad dude." This was one of those moments. Music and badass. It was the first time Wren totally dressed himself (jeans over his pajamas, bling and flip flops). He is wearing the dragon shirt he received as a birthday present. Perhaps it was the shirt that inspired

Wren is Five Years Old

2011-12-21T23:01:00.000-08:00

Wren dressed as the Birthday Boy for his birthday ceremony at school In case you missed this fact. Wren has turned FIVE. There is no appreciable difference in him although he wondered whether he had grown 3 inches on the morning of his birthday. He felt that there should be a visible change. Here are some pictures of him on his birthday and at school. There were honey buns for snack at

Christmas Shopping with The Boys

2011-12-21T22:54:00.000-08:00

Today was my first real day of vacation. As a very part-time worker, that means the first day I was not trying to do two things at once. I planned to focus on Christmas Holidays. Of course, then plans changed. One of my clients was offered a fabulous opportunity to pitch our products at a national level and so I ended up on the phone and laptop for much of the morning instead of taking coffee

Blogging on the blogger iPhone app

2011-12-09T10:03:00.001-08:00

It was extremely icy this morning when I woke Wren for the antibiotic premed for his 9 AM dentist appointment. It was his eighth dentist appointment in the space of three months as his fillings keep falling out. We are not sure why but at least he's getting better at having them done, repeatedly. Before we left he begged to bring the iPad so he could listen to the Yogcast Minecraft podcasts

The 2,592 Thousand Seconds of Christmas

2011-12-08T19:15:00.000-08:00

This evening I have ditched making dinner and baked Gingerbread instead. With days so short and school only letting out a week before Christmas, it seems there is never enough time for Holiday activities like baking and cutting paper snowflakes and shopping for gifts together (instead of making an Amazon Wishlist and sending out cards (not e-cards) and going skating and for light displays and

When are you going to die of oldness?

2011-12-01T13:30:00.000-08:00

Wren: Mum when are you going to die of oldness? Shannon: Me? Wren: Yes, you. When you get more crinkly? Shannon: I don't know. In a long time. When do you think? Wren: This December? This year. Shannon: You think that I will die of oldness this year!! Wren: No, get more crinkly. Like this... [Wren draws wiggly lines on the paper] Shannon: Oh, WRINKLY. [thinking how to

"I am just being sarcactus"

2011-11-20T20:22:00.000-08:00

Wren has spent most of the last 2 days in pajamas. This is in reaction to having to get dressed for preschool in the dark most mornings. Winter is a real drag at the moment even though we have been enjoying brilliant icy mornings with saphire blue skies which look all the brighter against the crimson maples still in leaf. Beezle admires the fall color at Greenlake Wren is almost 5 years old

Why does everyone want to ask the AI the meaning of life?

2011-10-27T17:34:00.000-07:00

I have my new phone and the boys have taken it over to chat to Siri. It had lots of trouble understanding me - perhaps its the accent or that my requests to find things were not commonplace. Frost also finds it more successful on esoteric matters and ventures there. He started off with the big questions "Siri, what is the meaning of life?" Siri replied that it was 42 and then advised that the

Learning Math aka "Killing me slowly, with his ways"

2011-10-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

Frost started his schooling at an alternative school which emphasized math creativity and understanding. Kids sorted marbles into bottles representing 10s and 100s and counted macaroni threaded on yarn. Frost was encouraged to form his own methods for adding and solving problems and generally thinking about math. He did. He figured out ways to move numbers around long before he was taught the

Mushroom Season

2011-10-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

Its mushroom season in Seattle. The season when I forage wild mushrooms for the pot, identify them and do botanical illustrations. The season seems to be getting going a bit late this year, perhaps due to the later arrival of the rains and some unseasonal warmth in September. Still, I have already eaten 4 lbs of gathered chanterelles and frozen many more pounds from a sale on chanterelles

The third wheel has the most fun.

2011-10-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

We are dealing with sibling-adoration issues Wren (4) adores Frost (10) and believes that Frost's playdates are an open invitation for a group date. He loves being the third wheel. Today, he had a great playdate with Matthew (11) and Frost (10). He watched Halo, played Lego, played Zombies, lazer tag and ran around in an imaginary game slaying zombies in the garden. When I insisted he come

Would it be so bad to let my dog have balls?

2011-10-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

This in the email today: Dear BEEZLE, How are you? We just wanted to remind you that you are due for your following: 11/11/2011 CASTRATION CAN. UNDER 50 LBS. 11/11/2011 MICROCHIP w/Dr service & registration Please tell your owners to call us for an appointment soon! Your friends at the Veterinary Hospital Beezle did not pass on

My name is Vampire Tiger

2011-10-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

This evening Wren asked me why we gave him such a boring name. He said wanted "a cool name" instead. "We called you Wren because we though it was a cool name" I told him. "What is a cool name you would like?" I wondered. "Oh, you know, like TIGER or VAMPIRE. I like Wren. So, instead of (names changed for publicity purposes) Wren Victor Smith I would be Wren Vampire Tiger." "Oh" I said.

Some bread and lots of dumbass dogpoop

2011-10-10T22:50:00.000-07:00

So the yeast relationship is developing well. Yesterday, I produced my first wild-yeast sourdough bread after 14 hours of courting. There was the kneading and the waiting, the cooling off period and the time it played hard to get (when I tried to put it in the oven without a baker's peel to move it from the counter to the hot baking stone without losing its shape, I used an old co-op preschool

A date with my yeast

2011-10-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

You know how us mothers always do things for the kids? Well, its screwing with my mind. I am starting to have flashbacks of singlehood in which I have the luxury of melancholy, keep quiet for hours and I listen to music of my own choice .....[without explaining "What is major Tom DOING?" ] Loud ....[without anyone asking if it is a Dance Party / saying you are giving me a HEADACHE / or doing

The Age of Analogy

2011-10-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

I doubt I'll ever catch up on the backlog of memories I hoped to impart via the blog. I have the walks in the woods with Dad, our camping near Deception Pass with preschool, walks with Beezle, dinners out and various important moments in each child's life. However, if I am ever to blog again I must acknowledge my infirmities (that absence of time and will, that need to watch Grey's Anatomy or

Dad's Visit: Golf at Chambers Bay

2011-09-24T00:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks to one of Josh's colleagues, we booked Dad in to play a round of golf at Chambers Bay in Tacoma. For those not in golfing circles, Chambers Bay hosted the US Amateur Golf Championship and is scheduled to host the US PGA Open in 2015. It is a Links course, described on the website as follows: "Centuries ago on the Linksland of Scotland where native grasses meander between the coastal

"Mom, can you write a birthday list now."

2011-09-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

Wren's birthday is many months away but he has asked me to write his birthday list. Now. He says: "I will have for birthday a ghost yard, a graveyard and a moving zombie that crawls and maybe a carousel but they cost $200 or something. I also want a cookie jar for Halloween and I would also like some dollars on money for the iPad Dragonville game because I accidentally deleted a dragon. I

Where God Comes down

2011-09-22T12:20:00.000-07:00

This morning the kids and I went on a walk on the way to school. We passed an intersection in Wallingford where the community has painted a section of street with a large "street mural" of a turtle. The turtle on Interlake and 41st As Wren scooted past he looked at it and said portentously: "That is where God comes down to meet the world! Because it is bright with light. God comes down

Frost in his new hat

2011-09-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

Dad bought Frost a hat for his birthday gift. Frost had wanted this hat a while ago but thought it was not the best style. He disagrees. Note the T-shirt "VIDEO GAMES RUINED MY LIFE GOOD THING I HAVE TWO EXTRA LIVES" This is Dad's favorite picture. He likes the one eye visible. I am not influenced by Justin Beeber. And with a different look, Joshua is kitted out to exterminate

Frost's First Day of Fifth Grade

2011-09-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

Frost started fifth grade today. Fifth grade is the final year of elementary school (like primary school) and after this he will go to middle school. I have been told it is a year where the teachers start to expect more independence from the kids and for them to show they can manage their work. Frost had the usual first week school bus woes. The Seattle district is very short of money and are

The theft of numbers and a visitor

2011-09-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Dad has arrived on a visit from South Africa. We picked him up yesterday on his Jetblue connection from JFK. Today we are planning on taking Frost to D&D role-playing camp and to install the new house numbers in brushed nickel neutra font. Dad is concerned that the numbers are too nice and "someone might steal them off the house." He says that a quick lever with a crowbar is all that would

About Frost

2011-08-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

Being such a fitful blogger this summer, I feel in need of an update on each kid. Frost is now 10 years old and going into 5th Grade this fall. Fifth Grade is the final year of elementary (primary) school. After that he goes to middle school for three years and then High School follows. Forst chose to do no summer camps this year and so he has been at home a great deal, even more so since his

Hair

2011-08-10T23:53:00.000-07:00

Frost and Wren have become overgrown with hair. Its a blessing. Its a curse. Yesterday, I cut Wren's with the buzzer and he is now less like a girl. I confess, I told him that usually boys didn't have long hair but he could if he wanted. He said he wanted long curly hair like Rowan but I explained his could be long, but not curly because his was straight. So, he said I could cut it. Frost

Breaking out

2011-08-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

I barely slept last night because I kept waking up afraid one of the kids would leave the house unexpectedly and set off the newly activated burglar alarm. I know, its not supposed to be like that. You're supposed to worry about people coming IN but I think its more likely we will lose money by excess police call-outs from kids leaving to scooter at dawn than from robbers. Apparently the

Pruning Basics

2011-08-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

My latest project is pruning. The new house has many overgrown and vigorous shrubs which need containment and redirection. They include a large Japanese Laceleaf maple with a 9" caliper (the truck diameter about 5" up) which looks like a crouching beast on our lawn. I have had a consultation with Mike Thepruningguy and he is going to start a gradual prune in September with me as his pupil.

Slightly normal (what is that?)

2011-08-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

We have moved house. I think I mentioned that a while ago but I just wanted to make sure you knew that we have really moved. I sleep in my new bed, Frost sleeps in his new bed (no longer a loft) and Wren has the best bedroom of all - navy blue and snuggly - but we have to keep his door closed all the time because Beezle has chosen it as his number one place to poop indoors if he can get there.

Beezle. 4 months and 3 weeks old

2011-07-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

He weighs 7.5lbs and is timid with strangers but bold from a distance. He loves his raw venison diet but wants more food, always.

Back in the sunshine saddle

2011-07-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

I was woken this morning at 8am by the partially equipt burglar alarm sounding an exterior door alert. I staggered out the bedroom without my usual stealth, hanging Beezle like a fox stole over my forearm. I have learned from bitter experience that one must evacuate Beezle to the garden ASAP at wake-up to prevent him taking advantage of a carpet. The back door was shut as was the patio door so

Various small fires

2011-07-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

Whenever I have been away and sit down to write a catchup blog post, this title comes to me: VARIOUS SMALL FIRES It comes from the title of a (1964) book by the artist Edward Ruscha featuring 15 photographs of small fires and a glass of milk merged in my mind with images from a book of whimsical staged images by Bernard Faucon. I don't know why I think of it. Certainly not in the same way as

Wren tells a story about monsters

2011-07-14T10:29:00.000-07:00