Steppin' Out at Seward Park

Okay, so I've told you all about the walking program with my little Manager Kimi, right? One of the three out-of-the-house-with-another-person things I'm supposed to do? So, here is an update on that activity.

I mentioned that we are walking at Seward Park, it's a really beautiful place on the south end of Seattle. It's situated on a little penninsula jutting out into Lake Washington. For those of you who don't know, Lake Washington is an amazingly beautiful body of water that curves along the east side of the city of Seattle. It's huge - 22 miles long at one point, and 214 feet at it's deepest. When the sun is even remotely out, the lake is filled with boats, Seados, and brave swimmers along the shore.

The University of Washington butts up against part of the western shore, and their boat house is there, in the shadows of Husky Stadium and Hec Ed Pavillion. In the early morning hours, if you are nearby, you can see the crew racers out practicing. They look like big water skeeters. It seems like they barely touch the surface as they speed along.

Lake Washington and Lake Union (another beautiful body of water, the one with all the houseboats) are connected by the Montlake Cut which runs between Husky Stadium and the Montlake neighborhood, then meanders under the University Bridge. There are tons of waterfront businesses dotted along here, kayaking clubs, little restaurants that you can boat up to and tie up for a meal. Lake Union has GasWorks Park, a very popular - read thousands of people - place to view the fireworks at the Space Needle on July 4th.

These are some of the reasons I love my home. Walking with Manager Kimi at Seward Park is reminding me of these reasons. That's just one of the bonuses. She and I are up to two laps around the park, that's five miles - yay us!

We take it fairly easy, and talk a lot (mostly me, I'm afraid), but we've noticed our time getting better. We are also having fun. There are regulars: Rasta Runner for one. He's there every time we are. He's always wearing his hat and brightly-colored shorts that match. He is VERY thin and musclely. I imagine him running across deserts in Africa. . . he always says hello, every time he passes us. Funny, he is always running opposite of us. Seems like the regulars all go in a regular direction, too.

Manager Kimi has a here-to-fore secret calling: she is a Crow Whisperer.

Did you know such a thing exsisted? Me either. But she is one. I've seen her in action. See, she talks to the cawing crows, and they stop cawing. They seem to know that she has wisdom to impart...kinda creepy, if you ask me, but I still like her.




There are a lot of crows at Seward Park.




We've noticed that our fellow walkers/runners seem nicer on the weekdays. Everyone (really, everyone) says hello and smiles as they pass. Even the ones that are really huffing and puffing. It's awfully nice to have that degree of friendliness within the city.

There are sweet groups of older people, men, women, both together, that stop along the path to chat. They always smile and wave, too. Many many dog walkers - some with up to three - and dog runners. One guy had his dog tied around his waist. They both looked like they were ready for a marathon.

One of the oddest things is the "skirt runners". On any given day, we can be sure to see at least one woman (one day, it was three different women) wearing a skirt. I'm not talking sporty, tennis player-type skirt. I'm talking maxi-length, cotton or cotton-blend type skirt you might wear to church or something. Really a bit odd.

But for me, that is part of the charm. The people we see enjoying Seward Park, are who they are. Most of them aren't there for anyone but themselves, and by that I mean they aren't dressing to impress, or making sure their dog looks good. Well, for the most part.

Bottom line, they are there to enjoy this great space in the middle of our city. That makes me enjoy it, too. Yay for Seattle, I say.

For more Pics from Steppin' Out at Seward Park, see my Picasa album.

Field Trip Fun. . . Day One

Kobi and Kameron are both in the third grade.

Kobi is in Mrs. Hayes class.

Kameron is in Mrs. Parnell's class.


As most parent of school-aged kids know, as we approach the end of the school year, the number of field trips increases. I suppose this is due to a few factors: a) the weather is nicer b) the kids are more antsy c) the teachers are running out of new things to teach or d) the field trip budget needs to be spent.

Could be a combination of these factors, and it could be I'm full of it. Very possibly the latter. In any event, field trip season is upon us, and in my history as a mommy, I tend to do at least one trip per year per child. Since I've skillfully managed to avoid all the previous ones this year, I was honor-bound to sign up for this, the last field trip of the year. For both of them. To the same beach. In the same week. In fact, Kobi's was Wednesday, Kameron's was Thursday. Woo-hoo! Today's blog will focus on Kobi's Wednesday trip with Mrs. Hayes' class.

Turns out, our local protected beach area, Seahurst Park, was experiencing a convenient series of super-low tides right in the middle of the school day. That translates into about seventy-five (give or take seventy) buses full of children crammed into a parking lot designed for fifteen cars.
The tide was especially low on Kobi's day: Wednesday.

The weather was terrific - mid-seventies, we had our beach-combing shoes on (well, most of us got the memo. a few kids were in flip-flops, some were in what used to be their "good" shoes), we had our sack lunches, and were ready to go!

The bus ride revealed to me another job I will NEVER, by the grace of God, hold: Bus Driver. People say all the time that they couldn't do what I do. Frankly, I don't know how some of you do what you do. Bus Drivers have my utmost respect. Managing that unwieldy vehicle while trying to hear yourself think and keep those little monsters safe . . .? Most def, not for me.

This is Rhonda, our Naturalist and field trip/tide pool guide for the day:

She's the one on the left.

But first, lunch.

Then, play.

Then off to the tide flats we go. . .

Malia searches for signs of life . . .

As her mother braves the fish run
to save a lunch sack:

We found live Sand Dollars . . .

and Sea Stars (aka Starfish).



We learned about crab molts (somewhere a bare-naked crab lurks) .

We watched our steps . . .

and looked under rocks . . .

and really learned a lot.

Thanks, Seahurst Park. See you tomorrow!

Rainy Saturdays

Sorry for all the parent talk, but since I appear to be a life-long mom, and now have these freaky little boys, it's on my mind a lot.

Today, Kobi and Andrew are wearing t-shirts on their heads and shaking their "booties". Let me be clear, I don't watch much "bootie shaking" on TV. I am not a proponent of "bootie shaking", although, in my sordid past, I was. So where this nonsense is coming from is a mystery to me. Why can't they just play with trucks and guns like other boys?

Meanwhile, Kameron is sitting on the toilet screaming and laughing. I expect him to momentarily start turning around to view his poop (another boy thing, I guess), which will lead to smears on the seat...you see where this is going. Yuck.

Meanwhile, I'm doing laundry, wiping down tables, helping my 21 year old with a three page essay - over the din.

Such is a rainy Saturday in the Rainwater manse. My monologue consist of lots of "NO", "Go to your room", "Stay out of his room", "Don't pull down your pants", mixed in with a generous helping of "No running in the house" and, that classic, "BECAUSE I SAID SO".

Helping with chores? Sweet pancake breakfasts as a family? Perhaps a family outing?

Nope.

I need to get out more. Or someday, people will be hearing about us on the evening news. Just kidding.

I think.

VICTORY!

So sorry people! I couldn't remember where the heck my blogspot account went! This is what happens when you have multiple email
addresses. Well, and when you are edging up the hill into mid-middle age. I'll leave the definition of that up to your imagination.

What to blog about?

We have a new (ish) family member, Andrew. He's only four and quite the little man. Lots of issues-he was in seven placements before he turned four-and we've had quite a road trying to help him understand what kind of behaviors are okay: saying please, using "indoor" voices, etc., and what behaviors aren't okay: hitting, throwing toys, spitting, and some insanely bad language.
He's still getting used to a mom that cooks (most of the time), and reads to him at bedtime.

After all these years you would think I'd be used to how damaged these kids are, but it still blows me away. He used to think that every time he went to preschool, he'd be going back to a different house. Every move he had prior to our house was a surprise. Go to the babysitter in the morning, have a new "mom" in the evening. Wow. Why do we wonder at the high juvenile crime rates? Take a small guy like this and twist him up - what do we expect?

One of my biggest prayers is that every stable, sane, responsible adult would choose to be a foster parent. It doesn't take some sort of super person, or "special" person (I get really tired of people telling me how special I am), it does take someone willing to open their home and their heart to ONE damaged child. Just one. They are small. They don't take up much space. They need you a lot.

Think about it.

What a Tremendous Mother's Day

Hey, I have to tell you all what a super-duper Mother's Day weekend I had. It started Friday night in downtown Seattle celebrating my friend's twenty year anniversary. Tom and Stephanie came to Christ later in life, and "found" each other. They have a yours, mine, and ours family, with grandchildren now.

Tom and Steph were one of the first couples I met as a new believer. They welcomed me and my wacko family with open arms, and haven't been able to get rid of us, yet!

The party was at the New Orleans in Pioneer Square in downtown Seattle. Terrific music and authentic food. We sat up in the balcony where we had an excellent view of the couples dancing on the cozy floor to some awesome blues. That was a great start to three days of celebrating... me!

Well, I'm not the only one who got to celebrate, I guess.

Saturday, we had our annual Women's Brunch at church. Our Pastor pretty much single-handedly planned the meal, shopped, prepped, cooked, and served fifty-six women. He did have three of our older teens and two of the men to help serve and clean up. But really, Pastor David did almost all of it.

And it was delicious! I invited a friend from the foster care system, and took my three daughters with me. Everyone felt pampered and ministered to. Following that, five of us went out and cruised the garage sales. I found a great rice-cooker for $4. Super!

Sunday was, of course, the Day. My eighteen year old bought, cooked, and served me breakfast in bed. I've never had breakfast in bed (well, on a few hospital trips...but that certainly doesn't count!). She took care of getting all the kids ready for church, and did it all with a smile. Wow.

Then, coffee with the Pastor's wife, church, and finally a trip downtown with my oldest son, Kris. He took me to a sweet indoor mall, Pacific Place for dinner at Todai (a Japanese buffet). Then he took me to a movie (Iron Man, and I do recommend it!), and THEN we went to the Cheesecake factory and Starbucks for (duh) cheesecake to go, and coffee. Make mine a triple short breve latte, please!

Wow. I tell you, that is enough celebrating to keep me happy for at least a few years. Or until October. That's when my birthday is!