Sagetribe- Adventures From Our Village

A Week...

This girl

This girl, who is so brave,

and perhaps quite in love with her doctor, due to the number of times we've been into see him recently, has now, in a matter of one week, had

a nice dose of poison ivy which spread all over,

and

a chin that needed to be glued,

and 

a busted head in need of a staple,

oh, and a croup type virus with a lovely chirpy cough that makes her eyes tear and my heart jump in my throat.

I'm thinking she should be done with sickness and accidents for the year, but of course it doesn't work that way, and with this one, my adventurous, does her own thing, and "doesn't have to" do what she doesn't want to do, 

I'm guessing it's only the beginning.

Meaning we can never move or we'll be packing Dr. S and his fam. up with us :)

So thankful for good doctors and friends! So, so thankful!

Summer's Start

It's only been a week or so since I've been here and yet maybe a year or two has passed. Between a finished literary magazine, prom, field day, graduation (or Mrs. Sage loses her cool and cries like a loon), two trips to literally put our weeist one back together (a post of its own), and a big guy on to new adventures for the summer, it feels like years.

Oh and we've had

which also deserves a post all of its own- a bittersweet end and beginning for sure. 

Good things, but I can't say this is my favorite time of year. I'm not good with endings. 

Spring was good to us- so many beautiful days to sit and watch soccer games, 

be back at the farmer's market, hike, and "be" while wild people ran quite...well...wild.

Thankfully with this ending, a new start begins. A new summer with "104 days of summer vacation" (or really just 86) to fill our days with...whatever we want! This part I do love. No schedules, no really have to. 

And I know, even though we'll be missing each other a lot, transitioning into heat, which is so upon us, and figuring out how to "be" so differently, it's a good beginning

and adventures, good adventures, await for all of us. 

Recharging

- a new spot to discover

-friends who happened to be there too

-a couple more weeks to hike with my love

-thinking about how I will hike with two, alone...

-thankful good friends won't let me be truly alone

-frogs not scared by squeals (or maybe too scared)

-snack breaks with cheddar bunnies and dried seaweed

-poison ivy keeping the wee one in her carrier (b/c when Mama says NO, it's fun to do the opposite)

-snake skin found and taken for treasure table

-a quiet reminder to say a quiet "thank you"

-Mama's 25 year old Cabbage Patch loved again 

-a weekly recharge: ready for due dates, meetings, teenagers, and the unexpected. 

-a chance to slow down

 

Attitude

Saturday after dinner, we took the kids to Red Mango, a make your own yogurt bar, and then for a walk on campus. Clark was not thrilled. He wanted to go to a park. A park that was across a busy, graduating town. We decided to deal with

which thankfully was short lived. I reminded him about his "rocks" and shrinking them, and within minutes of him finding his way to 

he informed me that he had in fact changed his attitude and was quite content,

which I knew would come about because we four re-charge when we're outside. 

We need to be  terrorizing finding bunnies, running, standing on our heads

doing "nastics",

and sometimes we can even be still...

even if it is just for a moment. 

Spring Rain

 

Last Night the Rain Spoke to Me 

by Mary Oliver

 

Last night
the rain
spoke to me
slowly, saying, 
what joy
to come falling
out of the brisk cloud, 
to be happy again
in a new way
on the earth! 

That’s what it said
as it dropped, 
smelling of iron, 
and vanished
like a dream of the ocean
into the branches
and the grass below.

Then it was over.
The sky cleared.
I was standing
under a tree.

The tree was a tree
with happy leaves, 
and I was myself, 
and there were stars in the sky
that were also themselves
at the moment
at which moment
my right hand
was holding my left hand
which was holding the tree
which was filled with stars
and the soft rain –

imagine! 

imagine! 

 the long and wondrous journeys
still to be ours.

We've Been

jamming to Phineas and Ferb songs 

"104 Days of Summer Vacation..." (I wish!)

"Gitchy Gitchy Goo, Baby!"

and learning how to snap, while Mama figures out her NEW camera!

The wee girl is doing EXACTLY what the brother does

with a little more sass.

We've been conferencing with parents for too many hours to count, making tortillas from scratch (no need to buy them...easy and they rock), getting massages (thanks M and D G!), and getting over fevers and rashes, which have thankfully been very mild. 

We've been rearranging furniture, putting wee people back in their beds over and over, turning the heat on and off and on and off, and reading poetry in a room full of lovely women. 

The whole foods class wrapped up this week; next week my writing workshop ends, and in five weeks school is out for summer, and I say goodbye to three seniors and our building (OH YES, my school is moving again!)

Thankfully the goodbyes are all good things and thankfully new cooking and writing classes have already been signed up for. The heat will be turned off for good, the rashes and fevers will pass. 

We've been trying to maintain some grace and order while the crazy end of school days creep up, and remember that soon these crazy days will pass and new crazy days, without a big guy, will be here. No need to wish these days away. They are good, mostly calm, and when all else fails, we have a new toy to capture it all with!

Thankful!

 

Happy Birthday to My Lobster

My lobster is 35 today. Thirteen years older than the day we met at the fountain, Nagi's cold nose kissing me though he had no clue who I was. Maybe he knew. Thirteen years older than our first "date" at Rileys. Thirteen years older than our first hike to the Cascades. Thirteen years older than our road trip to Vegas. Thirteen years older than the first I love you.

My lobster is 35 today. Twelve years older than the day I met his parents. Twelve years older than his graduation from college. Twelve years older than the day his toothbrush appeared in my bathroom.

 

My lobster is 35 today. Eleven years older than the day he proposed. Eleven years older than our first house, first cat, first grown up furniture.

 

My lobster is 35 today. Ten years older than our wedding and hikes through Victoria's rainforests. Ten years older than my second career change in two years.

 

My lobster is 35 today. Nine years older than my third career change in three years, a new digital camera, and a Native American villiage built from scratch. 

  My lobster is 35 today. Eight years older than my first job as a teacher.

 

My lobster is 35 today. Seven years older than a loss of a friend. Seven years older than a wobbling, big bellied wife. Seven years older than a new home and a new four legged critter.

 My lobster is 35 today. Six years older than a new Clark!

My lobster is 35 today. Five years older than a big move, loss of a job, gain of an education, love of a new town.

  My lobster is 35 today. Four years older than being a graduate assistant, finding each other again, and having a toddler.

My lobster is 35 today. Three years older than finding out our family would soon become four. Three years older than finding himself in the midst of the Smithsonian's stash.

 

My lobster is 35 today. Two years older than the birth of a Sophie, a summer in DC, a good year full of crazy twists and turns.

My lobster is 35 today, one year older than plan B, which turned out for the better.

My mate for life is 35 Today! Happy Birthday, Babe- It's been the best 13 years of my life, for sure!

 

Big 6

A whirlwind of activity life has been since the Big 6, making me thankful now, four days later, to have some quiet time to shift through that big day. 

The Big 6

was filled with thoughtful (perfect Clark) gifts

sisters not so sure why they weren't having a party

Batman comics, snacks, and seven other Batmans to run crazy with

a sugary city under attack

a beautiful day to run outside, throw balls, and play tag- a Pop and a Mimi, great friends, lots of laughs and lots of silly. 

Thank you to everyone who helped make the BIG 6 so special! I thought five was big- no SIX...six is BIG!

 

Dear Afra,

Thank you my soul sister for always knowing just what my children will love- bugs, towels that grow, Spiderman, coins and bills for travel, and of course for keeping us well stocked in German chocolate- the perfect bribe for the boy and the girl who gulped their soup tonight so they could eat chocolate eggs and yelp with glee as they devoured the sweetness, while leaving only traces of chocolate drool down their chins. 

Your boxes are a special treat around here!

2013!! You and me, the men, and the munchkins, Sister. I can't wait!

 

When We Aren't Looking

Someone gets very busy!