I finally understand...

• how to use the blow dryer to style my hair: warm the hair with the dryer then use hands or brush to flip, straighten, or curl.
• how to clean a toilet: clean the inside of the bowl then clean the inside of the tank. Every few months, replace the non-chlorine disinfecting tablet (in the tank).
• how to brew a good cup of coffee: 1/4 cup of ground coffee for each 4 cups of water.
• how to be me: ok. not quite. But, the last 24 hours has shed some light.
  

I'm typing from a room on the 33rd floor of the downtown Sheraton. I'm on a "momma retreat." Just me, my stack of magazines that have to be read and recycled before I return, my workout clothes, my computer, and the mini bar. I have three things to accomplish at a minimum:

1. read the April and May issues of Real Simple and Better Homes and Gardens.
2. workout.
3. sleep in.

I have one hour until check out. Better get to that last Real Simple.

gardening

by the driveway
Originally uploaded by anneke boudreau.

Now that I'm a Master Gardener and know what I'm doing (ha!) there aren't enough hours in the day and the available hours are severely limited by Z's interest in sharp objects and dog poop. But, we're getting good work done and lots more changes are on the way.

Photos of our garden

spring cleaning

I recently learned the origins of spring cleaning: throughout the winter, as people heated their homes by burning stuff, soot would build up on everything in the house - walls, cabinets, mattresses... In spring, everything came out of the house, the house was cleaned, all the stuff was cleaned, then all the stuff returned to a clean house.

This spring, I'm ruthlessly tossing anything that has acquired a layer of dust - whether it is actual or mental. When I was younger (with less stuff thus more space), I took tons of photos and had them printed in quadlicate. Why I needed four copies of Sue drinking a beer, I don't know, but I did. Just eliminating the duplicates is freeing up quite a lot of space. Imagine if I get rid of all the bad photos...

I shredded all of my travel and office expense reports from MIT. mmm. I threw away all of my 401(k) statements from 1999-2005 and have filed all of the relevant retirement info in a 3 ring binder. ahhhh.

He's tiptoeing through the tulips

tiptoe through the tulips
Originally uploaded by anneke boudreau.

The Skagit Valley Tulip Fest has become an annual event for Z. We went last year with Grandmomma and Great-grandma. The baby bjorn carrier also went both years - T&T are borrowing it for B.

I published a set of photos from our trip.

daycare

We decided to keep Z in daycare one day per week because it is more affordable than a nanny, it gets him out of the house and playing with others, he was doing really well at daycare, and I figured that if he picked up a cold or virus on a Friday he could be sick over the weekend and would be well again by the following Friday.

It's been two weeks. The first week he came home after 1/2 a day because he had a virus - but was the first to have it so he didn't pick it up from daycare (then gave it to me and I lost 6 pounds in 2 days). Last week, everything went well. He was there 8-5 and I worked for several hours, went out for lunch, then had fun hanging out with a new gardening pal.

This week the center is having a parent's night out - date night!

So far, I'm confident we made the right choice.

blooming

Everything is in bloom, including me and Z. I haven't been sure what to write and have been a little leery of saying anything - I don't want to jinx us. But, we had an awesome week! I can't seem to do much more than list everything:

• I finally finished the raised bed for the rhodi, sarcococca, and hebe. Last week's theme was "flowers" and Z helped me plant 3 pansies and 2 primroses under the rhodi. I look at it from the kitchen window. We're spending more time in the dog yard. I moved a bench and Z's adirondack chair out there. We bought wood to build a sand box. It's a whole new "room" for us to explore, decorate, and inhabit.
  
• Two trips in one week to the craft store for supplies (clay, foam shapes, paper, paints).
  
• Another batch of books from the library.
• A play date every day! I think that is the underlying key to our "success."
• Z and I were both well and able to meet up with folks everyday.
  
• Our Master Gardener clinic had our first organizational meeting. I volunteered to take on an additional role. That's me - jumping in with both feet!
  
• I met with 3 other ladies to brainstorm a fun, creative project. I can't wait to start working on it.
• I had another cranial sacral session. Fantastic and relaxing.
• On Sunday, Lori and I shared the most amazing piece of chocolate cake from dish d'lish and I had an intense sugar craving the rest of the week and I indulged more often than I should have. wow. It led to junk food and junk t.v. but I think it's out of my system. whew.
  

It feels so good to be involved in our community and helping others AND it feels good to be helped by others. It used to be so hard for me to ask for help, but I realize that it's part of relationships - give and take. I have more friends than I've had in a while and it is invigorating. I've missed having a community. For so long, my community was through work and most of them were thousands of miles away.

I haven't felt this "at home" in a long time - probably since college. I love having various "circles" to run in - gardening, mothering, geeking.

This morning in yoga class, as we felt the rise and fall of our breath in our bellies, I was amazed that mine used to hold a baby...this little *boy* who is funny and cute, an awesome climber, with a great imagination. How does that happen? Is this real? I'm dreaming, right? Me? A mom? When did that happen?!

Vote YES on SB 5659 - Family Leave Insurance

Washington state mommas and friends: Emailing your State Representative is one click away.

pardon me?

driving on the speaker
Originally uploaded by anneke boudreau.

Pointing at birds.
Listening for airplanes.
Squealing at kitty-cats.
Driving cars up speakers and over couches.
Identifying his nose, ears, teeth, head, hair, shoulders, and eyes.
Making more and more sounds that could be English.

Enjoying it more than I could have imagined.

Many, many thanks to Grandmomma for the infusion of toys! Check out the photos.

p.s. Soon after I wrote about him waking during the night, he went back to sleeping 9-10 hours per night. whew.