Atta Girl

Emily  bought these earnings with  her friend at  the mall.  I got a good laugh at them and told her she can wear them but not to school.  I think they would be hazardous there.  So far, she's agreed and her ears are in tack.  That beautiful nail job is called umbray.  Or something like that. Yeah.  Winter colors that fade into each other.  Topped with a sparkle finish.  I don't think, even at that age, I was ever that girly.  I love that rose ring on her finger.  I bought that for her on her 9th birthday and she still wears it.

I think I found  a new respect for Emily this past weekend.  We have a very small bathroom that we all share.  Emily's bottles and gels were filling up the small counter and the back of the toilet.  The only two surfaces that are available in there.  Well, she is a girl who likes to primp.  She needs more room.  So she took it upon herself to move her spa into the back bathroom.  In order to do that she wanted it cleaned so she spent hours in there cleaning.  She made that bathroom sparkle.  She had her hair up and her music blasting and she made it shine.  It truly sparkles.  As she was doing that images of Rosy the Riveter came to mind.  I thought of sayings like, "When there's a will there's a way."  (And when there's not, there's certainly not.)  She also cleaned the top of her desk and dresser.  Without me even asking.  That is truly amazing.  The next night we went grocery shopping and she gladly carried in numerous bags of groceries.  I wanted to make note of these.  I'm trying to meet her on her hike.  To meet her on her mountain.  She plowed through Twilight.  I'm plowing through Twlight.  She's plowing through New Moon.  I may plow through New Moon.  I paint my nails sometimes.  I raid her jewelry and make up when I go out.  I ask her opinion of my shirt and jeans.  I hug her when she glares at me.  She is my mighty girl!   

Northern Coast

We drove to the Northern Coast.  Way up and out on the Peninsula.  Out by dairy farms and grazing cows and nursing calves and small deer.  The sun shone brillantly and we stayed until the fog rolled in.  Loving the fresh air and warm sunshine, the roar of the ocean and blowing of the light house horn. 

The next day we found ourselves exploring another part of the coast.  We hiked up through a woodland area and as we came out to the sea we found a sturdy rope swing on a huge eucalyptus tree.  After much urging from the rope swing owners some of us gave it a try.  Seemingly swinging out over the Pacific Ocean.  Lovely.  We continued on to spend the day on a long stretch of beach where we watched the sun change colors and the shadows stretch long and we raced the light heading back out of there. 

Urban Forests

Here is a beautiful spot I have found myself in during work hours two different times lately, which has been great.  I went on a field trip with school and got a day out.  So refreshing and really seems like what the classroom really should be-learning  about ecosystems and what we can do as humans to help maintain them.  Then I found myself there again when that beautiful golden fall light was spreading its way across the landscape.  We had just gotten home and were cozy with snack and the marble track when I forced them all to charge out again.  Much to their dismay.  And of course, once we were there they wanted to explore every tree and trail.  And they didn't want to leave.     

Comic Magic

The weather has shifted a bit here, and with the time change,  has brought on the excitement of candles.  Eli picked these candles out to use to read by.  It's a little dim but it works.  Adds to the enchantment of Harry Potter.  They also sparked a conversation about Native Americans.  When we went to light these Eli told me about the practices of Native Americans before they go hunting.  He started out by saying, "I think maybe they were smarter than the Spanish that came here."  I love these conversations that come in the middle of some mundane thing , in this case, teeth brushing.  While I was making dinner tonight he went and got his multiplication flash cards and corrected all the problems himself.  I think he got an "A".  That brown coat he's wearing is something he wore when he was about 6 years old.  Rolled up sleeves have given it a whole new style.