White Christmas... sort of

Right after we got our tree this afternoon, it started to snow. Unlike this morning's dusting where the flakes were almost invisible, this was the real deal. We had about 15 minutes of big, beautiful flakes. For us, that's practically a snow storm.

J and Toe took the opportunity to have a light saber battle and Toe tried to scrape together some snow balls for a snow ball fight. It was incredible how hard he was willing to try. He made snowballs the size of superballs - wet and slushy. His aim is actually getting pretty good.

When the snow stopped, we brought out the bubble maker he got in Disneyland to see if it was cold enough for the bubbles to freeze. It wasn't, but the boy had a great afternoon in the back yard anyway.

Annual Fuzzy Bear Hunt

Each year in the autumn, we find a sunny afternoon to walk the trail from the Netul Landing to Fort Clatsop. It has become a tradition to look for the "fuzzy bear" caterpillars as we go.  We were not disappointed this year - we found caterpillars before we even got to the actual trail.

Toe was very gentle with the caterpillars he encountered, waiting patiently for them to climb on his hand.

We immediately noticed a resemblance between the caterpillars and J's new "face ferret." J grew the mustache for a show he's in. The final performance is tonight, but the mustache will stay until Halloween. Toe wants J to dress up as Mario for Halloween (to go with his Yoshi).

The 'stache

We tried to take a photo of J with the mustache and Toe with a caterpillar on his face, but we realized quickly that those guys are REALLY prickly when they get close to your face!

Caterstache

J liked the idea, though, and branched out to slugs as well....

Slugstache (don't try this at home, folks!)

It was a beautiful day - sunny and cool - with no wind. It served as a great contrast to the storm last week.

We also found a snake on our walk. At first, we thought it was dead, but it was just resting.

A poor photo of  Toe with a snake

August, September, and October are the busiest time of the year at J's work, and he has been doing a show at our local theater to fill in for a friend (who had some family issues at the last minute). It has been a very busy month for us and we have not had much family time. It was SO nice to have time this day to remember that we truly enjoy spending time together.

Detective Sasha on the Case

We've had Sasha since early February, when Lenore could no longer take care of her. She came to us stressed out after two months of watching her "mother" (Lenore) decline in health, with many people (including health care professionals, friends, and support personnel) coming and going all hours of the day. She left Lenore's side as little as possible - for bathroom breaks and to greet visitors at the door. Other than that, she planted herself between the couch where Lenore spent her days and the coffee table - a small place for a large dog, but as close as possible without climbing up next to Lenore. Toward the end, as more health care professionals came to exam and move Lenore, Sasha watched every move with anxiety. We could tell that the responsibility of watching over Lenore was weighing hard on her and we finally decided that it was time for her to come live with us.

Sasha politely got into the car when I asked and rode home in the front seat next to me, shaking for the entire two hour drive. She refused the french fries I offered her as a peace offering. When we got home, she was greeted by the Hussa Boys - J, Toe, and Uncle Awesome - who all lavished her with attention. She was reserved and polite. I texted Lenore's full-time caregiver (and great friend) that Sasha was "cautiously optimistic."

She texted back that she and Lenore had had a good laugh over that one. It sounded just like Sasha.

I traveled back and forth between our house and Lenore's a lot this spring. At first, when I came back, Sasha would sniff me all over, tail wagging like crazy. Then Lenore died and I came home wearing a coat of Lenore's (long story - I used it for strength when I met with the lawyers). I held it out for Sasha to smell and she sniffed it, and then looked down at the floor, tail down, for a very long time. I hate to anthropomorphize, but it really looked like a moment of grief. J came into the room and she went to him and  never looked back at the coat, even though I left it there for her to return to. After about half a day, I removed it and took it to the cleaner's.

Since that time, we have worked to make this fourteen year old girl feel as comfortable as possible and she has brought great joy to our lives. She bonded with Jason on Day 2 when he took her to the local pet store and gave her a bath. She has a bed on each floor of the house. Toe worships her with the adoration that a child gives his/her first pet. She is ever polite and gentle, a truly remarkable dog in the mildness of old age.

Sasha is a creature of habit and she gets a walk twice a day, rain or shine. The walk is for her, so we go at her pace, stopping as much as she wants to. She is very good on a leash and incredibly easy going. The length of the walk varies depending on her endurance on any particular day.

At Lenore's, there was usually another dog around and always had at least four indoor cats prowling nearby. She has come to our house an only animal, so she is always on the lookout for other animal life when we step out. She also loves stopping to meet people (many of whom comment on her beauty. I always respond with her age and the fact that she is so even-tempered).

Sasha spends the majority of any given outing with her nose in the air, following paths we can neither see nor smell. She stops to investigate regularly and sometimes leaves her "calling card." Her pace and process are incredibly methodical and I become absorbed watching her each walk. I am always fascinated to watch her ears, the way she sniffs one spot or follows a complete trail, how she finds a scent and picks it up five to ten feet away. It is like watching a detective or private investigator at work.

I know all dogs do this, but because of her age and pace, I take closer notice of her methodology (we stop A LOT). I wonder if it is just curiosity or instinct that drives her or if she is working like a detective, piecing together sordid tales of the outside world. There seems to be no outer purpose. Our old terrier lab mix, Abbey,  always searched for small critters to catch. Not so with Sasha. Occasionally she will find someone hiding in the brush or see a deer crossing the road and show no desire to take chase - she looks on with interest but with no sense of predatory intent. It's fascinating.

Sasha spends her days sleeping and spending time lying in the back yard, watching birds come and go, but her favorite times of the day are dawn and dusk, the times when she can resume her investigation of the invisible neighborhood gossip. J and/or I, the Watsons to her Sherlock, accompany and watch and hope we learn something in the process.

Spider Season

 I took myself "forest bathing" this morning in one of my favorite local parks. It started out supremely foggy and slowly burned off as I walked. I couldn't have asked for better light. These were all taken with a small point and shoot. I kicked myself for not bringing my good camera, but the point of the walk had been walking, not taking photos.

I believe there are three kinds of walks: exercise/GO-ing walks, partner walks, and soul walks. You can combine two of those three elements in a walk, but it is hard to combine all three. You end up missing something. Today was a soul walk for me. I certainly was exercising, but I was not on a time frame, and I chose my path as I walked. I stopped to take photos of things that stood out to me today.

It is spider season here. We have so many different kinds of spiders appearing in and out of our house, it feels a little like a wing of a zoo. Every time we walk outside, some new web is at head height, waiting to catch an unsuspecting human by the mouth.

In the forest, they are everywhere. Branches, ferns, grass, are all covered with webs, so many, it looks like someone went crazy decorating for Halloween.The fog had condensed on each line and the webs practically glowed from the right angle. I would frame six webs, but only one would show in the light...

The light through the fog really showed detail and texture today (without making too many shadows).

 You could practically hear the forest working. Leaves drifted down from trees, as did drops of condensed fog. The forest was literally watering itself today (um... rainforest).

 When I got to the overlook where you can usually see the river, I was treated to this sight:

 

I thought about how sometimes being in the fog only allows you to see what's in front of you, not the big picture. It can be disconcerting because it is difficult to know what's happening, but it can also be a chance to narrow your focus and really look at what is right in front of you.

I stopped in the part of the park where J and I were married one wet, dark afternoon in February (sixteen years ago). The place feels sacred to me - I can feel a connection with Spirit, Universe, God here.

 I walked up the hill and leaned against one of the shelters and just stood, soaking it all in: the light, the cool air, the trees, the grass, the bird noises.

 I turned to my left and saw THIS:

 It was just perched there, soaking it all in. We looked at each other on and off for a while and finally I left.  On the way home, the fog was gone and autumn was just beginning to do her beautiful work.

School Days, School Days...

Class of 2026

The kid has FINALLY gone back to school. I think our area started later than just about everyone. My sister's kids started mid-August in the midwest, but in our area, it's a tradition to start after Labor Day weekend. So, Tuesday, we went to the school for an hour of orientation and then Wednesday was Toe's first day of school.

The area divides kids into a lower and an upper elementary so Toe starts at a new school this year.  Last year at the end of the school year I had a meeting with the new school counselor and principal (along with the school counselor who guided us through the perils of K-2) to discuss the transition to a new school, Toe's 504 plan, and his CF needs. Last week, we met again with the school counselor and principal, the district nurse (who has known Toe since Kindergarten and will follow him through high school), and Toe's teacher.  Both meetings seemed very productive and I felt heard and supported. I know it has to be overwhelming for a new teacher to hear all of Toe's individual medical needs as well as be getting a new class of individuals with quirks, needs, and talents. I do trust that we all have Toe's health and best interests at heart. We tried to assure his school team that we feel, as the parents, that it is our job to work with them and provide the support from home that THEY need; and that we understand the pressures they are under and understand that there might be some bumps along the road.

 Orientation involved a lot of paperwork and a short presentation by Toe's teacher. She is new to the district, but seems very competent and kind. I liked what I heard. I was also pleased to see that many of Toe's friends from Kindergarten (who have not been in his classes in first or second) are in his class this year. One of his good friends even has a desk at his "cluster." Even better- she is a girl who is fun and funny but who also knows when to focus and get her work done - this is an important skill when sitting next to Toe, who loves to talk a little too much.

While I waited in the "Transportation" line to turn in the form saying that school buses are giant germ tubes and I will pick up and drop off, thankyouverymuch, J and Toe hit the playground.

Happy boy on the playground after orientation.

They both were pretty muddy by the time I found them.

"Dad, I don't think those were meant for someone your size!"

SO, the next day, we got up, did breathing treatment, got ready, and WENT TO SCHOOL.

TIRED

 We parked so we could take the prerequisite "in front of the school" photo. I had a great one set up, and just as I hit the shutter (yes, I was using a point and shoot), Toe said, "Here's a quick photo tip..."

We interrupt this shot to give a quick photography tip

"When you are setting up a shot, don't choose too interesting a background. If you have too interesting a background, it makes you look at that and not the person in the shot."
"Wow, thanks," I said, as I hustled the kid closer to the front doors, hoping I could get a smile somewhere else...

Thankfully, I did get one by the front doors before I sent him inside.

First day of school, Grade 3

The first day of school went well and  Toe had a good time. The homework due Friday is great (bring three items that represent you and write two sentences about each on a note card) and includes a rubric (a teaching term - "Heidi Andrade’s commonly accepted definition is a document that articulates the expectations for an assignment by listing the criteria, or what counts, and describing levels of quality from excellent to poor."*) that set expectations for parents and kids. My teacher self had a little happy dance for that one.

I'm sure I'll have more to report later.


*http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=WhatIs

Gulf Coast Holiday

We just got back from a trip to visit J's folks on the gulf coast of Texas. You'd think Texas in August would not be a good vacation choice, but we look forward to it each year. R&G live very close to the beach and we spend our days inside in the air conditioning and go out in the mornings and evenings to enjoy the water and the sand. Personally, I love the heat (albeit with the choice of air conditioning when I want), so I spend a lot of time on their porch and in their garden while Toe plays with the grandparents. J came with us for a week and then went home to work. Toe and I stayed another week and continued our adventures. Here are some highlights from our two week visit:

1. Sea turtle release:
Apparently this is the time of year that baby sea turtles hatch. On this particular morning, they released three batches (they look like pepper at the feet of the guy on the right) and guarded against predators (mostly birds) while HUNDREDS of people watched. It's a herculean effort for a baby sea turtle to reach the ocean, even under the best conditions!

2. Time at the beach
We had breakfasts, barbecues, picnics, built sand castles, played in the surf, took walks. The constants were the perfect sand, the bathtub temperature waters, and the ocean breezes (acceptable because they were so darn warm!).

3. Fishing
Toe didn't catch anything but tried a number of times, with a number of different kinds of bait. My favorite moment was when the fish jumped out of the water INCHES from his line (but he didn't get a bite).

 
4. Swimming in the canals
R&G live along a canal system that opens into the bay. The water is hypersalinated and bathtub temperature. Buoyancy is incredible because of the salt content. You have to paddle to get anywhere, but not to keep yourself afloat. This makes for very peaceful swimming (and a great learning environment for someone who does not yet swim..).

5. Outdoor/Indoor Fun
We went to a place that had go-karts, bungee trampolining, and a ropes course. Toe was enthusiastic and (despite his fear of heights) approached it all with enthusiasm. HE was the one who wanted to do the ropes course. I went along for moral support. We were warned that once you started, you had to complete the course (the harnesses were uni-directional). He still wanted to do it. He complained the whole way and completed the course with only a little hand-holding. I was very proud.

We both tried bungee trampolining. Toe loves it. I did not expect that simply jumping up and down would activate my motion sickness, but after two minutes I was DONE. I had to sit on the ground and breathe afterwards. I personally won't be trying that one again.

Toe then cooled off with his Grandpa in the attached arcade (and after we went and played 18 holes of miniature golf).

6. Grandparent time
R did many of Toe's breathing treatments and watched a lot of Netflix with Toe to learn about his interests. He helped her with garden projects and she helped him bake a pie. We all played board games and board games and board games.

As a parent, actually getting a vacation can be hard. Wherever you go, you still have to take care of meals, laundry, details. I love going to visit the grandparents because there are 3-4 adults dividing duties, so I get a real break. I helped with meals, laundry, packing and unpacking the car for the beach, taking care of my kid; I was not having to make all of the decisions and I had time to just rest. I read two books. I sat and looked at the water. I took naps. Meanwhile, Toe and his grandparents had some quality time together. And I got to enjoy the water. The thought of swimming in that warm water carries me through the year.