a mother's narrative: July 2009

Friday, July 24, 2009

cool treats

cold raspberries

frozen grapes or blueberries
cold carrots & green beans with hummus and pita chips
watermelon served with breakfast, lunch & dinner
bottled root bear & vanilla ice cream
lemonade

lemonade recipe
4 lemons - hand squeezed
1/4 cup of sugar
3 cups of water
stir 2 minutes. refrigerate. serve over ice. try it with fresh mint.

math

Every time I purchase anything, especially groceries, I think about how many hours John worked to make that particular purchase.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

summer nights - 7.09

John took these last night while we were waiting for our pizza to cook...
July 21, 2009

mellow mommy music

sia-breathe me

this four tet remix is (as john would say) tiiiight!...the drums...
four tet remix

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

When I first moved to Bellevue I needed to meet other mothers. So, I found a mother's group online called, "Messy Kids. Happy Moms." The organizer, Elizabeth, really made me feel welcome. When I told a few of the mothers I was a photographer, she was the only one who asked if I would photograph her kids.

Images taken at St. Edwards Park summer of 2007

They now live in California and they have a new baby sister, Vivienne, who shares Asher's birthday. They came to Seattle for a brief visit and while they were here, Elizabeth asked if I could photograph Vivienne and all three siblings together....You can see the whole sitting here at... naziri

Jilli asked to hold Asher.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

day out with thomas

Athen doesn't really care for Thomas the train, he calls him "the blue train." (What's nice about "day out with Thomas" is that the whole day is just about doing kid stuff.) We went to ride him at the Snoqualmie Historic Train Depot last summer and it was a fun day... So, I decided to go again this year and try and re-live a few of the fond memories from the year before. It was hot and I had Asher strapped to me most of the day, but other than that, I had a great day with the boys.

On the train, wink & wave...

Athen at the train tables

Asher at the train table too...

the puppet show...my favorite part...

playing conductor...

someday...

I would like to have my own darkroom. I'm positive that by the time my boys are in middle school all dark rooms will cease to exist in schools. I am determined to teach them the basics of photo printing though. If I don't have my own darkroom, we'll make do with something like this....

Taken from the encyclopedia Britannica, circa 1960.
Courtesy of an acquaintance who worked for the Fort Collins School Disitrict.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

"busy"

means I'm overwhelmed.

visit from alyssa

Seattle skyline from Queen Anne

I've known Alyssa since 5th grade. She took a road trip out to the West
coast recently and stopped in Seattle for a couple of nights. I really
enjoyed having her here. It was a great excuse to get out into the city
and enjoy a few of the things I love most about it. The weather was
great, the boys were pretty good and best of all I had my first "girls
night out" since having Asher.

Alyssa still makes me laugh like crazy..."

Seattle Art Museum Sculpture Garden

Pike Place Market

(Athen picked an orange sword from the balloon man)

Alyssa and Asher at Gasworks Park

the boys & i

Monday, July 13, 2009

teriyaki grilled salmon

An easy and delicious way to cook salmon in the summer. Good for a fillet or salmon steaks. My four year old especially likes this dish.

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/2 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbl. spoon of vegetable oil
1 tsp. spoon of ginger
1 lb. salmon

Whisk all ingredients together. Pour over salmon in a container to marinate for at least 2 hours. Place salmon onto aluminum foil. Grill until cooked through. Sauce may caramelize and burn slightly.

Excellent over white rice and served with fruit.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

recess monkeys

A local Seattle children's rock band. The three elementary school teachers travel to the local library branches during the summer months and perform free shows. I have been trying to see them with Athen for some time now. They finally came...It was hot, but they rocked!