Berry Picking...

I was surprised at how much my kids loved berry picking! I was expecting strawberries but this farm specialized in berries that grow in thorny thickets. I thought my kids would get one prick from a blackberry bramble and be done. However, they reveled in the challenge of finding the best berries. They wandered up and down the isles hunting for the biggest and blackest berries they could find. Wyatt made the most of his work showing me where the hidden berries were and how to get past the "guards" (vines and thorns tangled together keeping berries locked away). After over hearing a friend express her wish that a lotto siren would go off when you "hit the berry jack-pot" Lorien and Wyatt started shouting out "Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!!!" when ever they felt like they hit the "mother-load'. The big kids focused on berry picking and Clare focused on berry eating. She would follow behind me holding my full container of berries while I filled up her empty one. After a few minutes we would switch containers keeping her belly full and her mouth purple. I think she ate her way through 5 containers of berries!

I have to give credit to my friend Susannah who planned the beach trip and berry picking trip. She and her family came out for a week to relive their old Bay Area adventures. It was so fun to see her and her kids, thanks for sharing your fun with us Susannah!

Beach day...

As school drew to a close I put a few activities down on the calender as a way to plan for the upcoming emptiness of summer. All month Lorien and Wyatt had their eyes glued to June 28th's date where our first beach trip of the season was scheduled. In typical fashion I was not ready for the beach so we pushed back until Thursday when we could go with a few friends.

I love a day at the beach! Even though planning a beach day feels like comparable work to that of planning a suspension bridge it is more than worth it. The beauty of the day was held in the hands of the other fabulous Mom's who hauled their kids out to the beach too. We all sat together mutually mooching snacks, sand toys and blanket space off each other. Our kids broke off into random groupings building castles, splashing in the water and collecting beach treasures. It was fun to watch my kids make connections with children they don't get to see very often but who share their great imagination and enjoyment of adventure.

The waves were a little intense. I usually prefer this beach location because the waves and undertow are less severe than beaches closer to home. The waves on Thursday might have been an exception. Lorien always loves being in the water and Wyatt usually keeps a safe distance. Some how, between the last day at the beach in 2008 to the first of 2009 Wyatt conquered his water worry. Together Lorien and Wyatt spent most of the day in the waves with little interruptions for food and to warm their bodies on the sand.

Clare stayed well away from the water. She built sand castles with her friends and a beach garden (complete with seaweed growing out of the sandy soil).

Some of the kids asked to be buried in the sand. I think it is funny to turn children (boys and girls alike) into mermaids when they lay down in the sand and ask to be covered up. Wyatt was too quick...before I could start making his mermaid--er--merman tail he insisted that I make him a rock. Wyatt's friend, Dane, also wanted to sport the "rock" look, effectively ending my fun. Clare, on the other hand, was really happy to be a mermaid, reminding me to include "boobies".

We soaked up the beach until the sun set behind the cliff that shelters the sand and we were too cold to stay without a fire. It was an awesome day and I am ready for many more!

Our Latest Photographer...

All my kids like to take pictures with our camera. I am really thankful to be living in the digital age because all my kids like to take pictures of the exact same thing...the ground. Every once in a while they will hold the camera up and snap a priceless shot of a window, the wall or the dirty laundry (my favorite!). Recently, I started letting Clare take some pictures. Below you'll find a small sample of her work. She holds the same passion for pictures of the ground--really, she took about 50 pictures of the ground--I couldn't keep them all. She also really likes to take pictures of herself and her family. She figured out how to set the camera up on a small table, press the button and stand back fast enough to get herself in the shot. Funny!

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Always a Busy Weekend...

Thirty-three years and one day ago, William James Anderson was born. He was born on Father's Day, and as a reward...Clay and Judy Anderson (his parents) not only got to take home their son...they also got to take home a roast...(brace yourselves for this one)...a roast in the exact weight of their new born baby boy. I am not even joking around here, for dinner William's parents tossed a roast weighing 8 lbs 8 oz. into a 375 degree oven--I wonder if the roast was also 21 1/2 inches long? Good thing Judy didn't go by feel, if she ate the whole roast herself she would have been right back where she started before labor and delivery! I guess that is the way they do things in Montana...for every child born...a cow must die.

I kid, I kid, except for the whole "getting a roast the exact size of your new baby" thing. I could not make that stuff up. Montana is a great state.

A heap of years later, I married William James Anderson (I am such a lucky girl!) and every year the 3rd weekend in June is a busy, busy weekend. One year (2006 to be exact) Will turned 30 on Friday, took Lorien out to the Father-Daughter camp-out, graduated with his MBA on Saturday and celebrated Father's Day on Sunday. See what I mean? Busy, busy, busy!

Some ladies in my circle of friends throw their husband's super fun birthday parties with friends and cake and presents and grilled meat and strippers. (Wait--just kidding--I wanted to see if you were paying attention, no strippers.) My husband is just lucky if I keep a paper bag handy so I can make it through the panic attacks smoothly. He deserves a big party. I wish I could come up with a better adjective but I cannot--he is AWESOME! A wonderful Father, an adoring husband and an all around cool guy. I love him. Some day I will throw him a super fun party. This year he'll have to settle for a little party with little kids--and party hats.

Happy Birthday/Father's Day Babe!

Ding-Dong the Witch is Dead!

I'll try to compose myself and not sound tooooo excited in this post--but honestly, I am busting open with happiness. Wrestling season is officially O-V-E-R!!! I think wrestling is great, really...I do.

Wrestling has been a big part of our family for the last several months and has taken up a lot of our time. The kids have had a great time going to practice with Daddy and Uncle David and Wyatt has been a whirlwind of success at all of the tournaments. In addition to eight medals Wyatt was rewarded with several pounds of extra weight to his little frame. (Much to his fathers delight.)

The wrestlers had their end-of-the-season banquet tonight. All the kids received a trophy and all the adults got to breathe a sigh of relief!

Congratulations on another successful wrestling season Will, Lorien and Wyatt. (And congratulations on surviving another wrestling season, Cassie.)

Well said dear friend...

I was reading over a friends blog that started by saying: "I want to blog. I really do. But I am coming up short. I have so much going on and nothing to say." I could not have put it better myself.

I'll try to be better.

Not that I think there are an overwhelming number of people who care about what is going on in my life--I just figure I'd better contribute to wasted web space when possible.

So, let me just start by saying: I really am pregnant. See:

If you do not have a lot of experience in reading ultrasound photos you are just going to have to take my word for it...all those white dots on the black background is a real life kid...trust me. Really it is mostly placenta and that little alien face in the upper left is the baby's face. Seriously, my kid looks exactly like an alien, creepy. I had my first doctor's appointment last week and everything is fine. I even got a prescription for some anti-nausea pills that have been helping to keep my head out of the toilet. My official due date is November 30th but I am planning on November 8th. Lorien was born on November 8th, Wyatt was born on November 8th and I am shooting for consistency here.

What else has been going on? Well, Clare and I got to go on a field trip with Wyatt's preschool to a farm near by. The kids got to eat broccoli, strawberry and lettuce from the garden all while sitting on stumps in a little arbor made from grape vines.

They got to see sheep, goats, pigs, a cow, chickens, roosters and baby chicks.

Apparently, little piggies have terrible eye sight. The pigs don't know that little fingers poking through the fence aren't tasty bits of food. To keep their fingers on their hands and out of the pigges teeth all the kids kept their hands clasped behind their backs.

All the kids loved checking for eggs and seeing the baby chicks.


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Clare couldn't stop talking about all the animals she saw. For days we were entertained with pig, sheep and goat stories. At the end of the tour our farmer-guide told the kids they could ride horses back to the pick-nick area. First the kids had to learn how to say "Giddey-Up!" and "Woahhhh!" to make the horses start and stop. Then they got to mount up on the horses...their very own legs...All the boys turned their imaginary farm horses into race horses.

Fun day.

Accomplishment of accomplishments Wyatt graduated from preschool at the end of May!



The very same evening Wyatt wrestled at the Santa Clara Valley Tournament, the final tournament of the season. The kids had to wrestle at night instead of their usual morning time slot. Wyatt had been up early that morning and had already had a busy day with Preschool graduation and all. Despite all the bumps Wyatt wrestled hard and did a great job. He came in 3rd. He was GREAT!
He had to wrestle the toughest two kids at the tournament for his last two matches. It was almost 10:00 at night and we were all exhausted! Wyatt gave it his all and worked his little 38 pound bum off. We were all so proud of Wyatt. (And I am so glad the wrestling season is over!) Here is a video of one of his matches. WARNING! Before you press play you should turn the volume on your computer down. There is a lot of shouting and cheering at a wrestling tournament. All that noise just bounces around the gymnasium--it is loud.

And finally, I've spent this last weekend home, alone, cleaning, organizing and missing my husband and children. Will--let's just call him what he is--Super Man, took all three kids camping at Mt. Shasta. Super Man has been composing a blog entry of his very own so stay tuned for details of their trip! My weekend has been so great! I've missed Super Man lots and lots and missed my kids (a little less than Super Man). But it has been so nice to have a quiet empty house where I can work.

If there are any husbands/fathers reading this blog I want you to know that more than chocolates, flowers or even jewelry your wives/mother of your children want a weekend away from those children. Really, you should have seen the excitement on my girlfriend's faces when I told them about my weekend. Show your wives how much you love them and take your children away next weekend. You'll be happy you did!