For some reason, lately I've been thinking about the jewelry that I used to have as a child. Perhaps it's because I found my faux-Victorian "Happy Birthday" tin last summer, when I unearthed a box of my childhood things in my dad's attic. When I was little, I would put some of my keepsakes and jewelry in that tin. I'm pretty sure that I kept a white crystal turtle and a brown crystal hare in there; I got those keepsakes in second grade from my little boyfriend, David S., who went to some place on vacation (I think called the Crystal Forest?) and brought me some the souvenirs.
I also kept jewelry in a ballerina jewelry box (that looked very similar to this one) for a long time. I think I gave that box to one of my little sisters when I got older, and I may have given my sisters some of my jewelry too. I had several necklaces, including an "I [heart] Primary" necklace and an "LDS" necklace with my emerald birthstone.
If I remember right, I think hat I have both a blue-and-orange butterfly pin, and also a white butterfly bookmark. Both of them were made of enamel, and the bookmark had a little gold hook so that the butterfly would rest outside the book, along the spine. I remember that one of these was slightly loose (perhaps the pin?) and I could slightly wiggle the lower two wings. These are the closest things that I have been able to find online that match what I used to have:
I also had a rose pendant that was on a gold chain necklace with simulated pearls and a twist clasp. I'm not sure if it was from the 1928 Collection jewelry line, but the aesthetic is very similar to this one, although my pendant rested on a solid oval base and had this rose shape.
My favorite necklace, at least when I was a teenager, was a "House of Seven Gables" pendant that was shaped like the actual house. I got the necklace in the gift shop of the House of Seven Gables, during my 8th grade trip to Boston (and the surrounding area) and New York City. I found one pendant charm on,one which kind of resembles my pendant, but mine had more definite shape with precise lines (as well as a darker color). But this is kind of close:
I still have one bracelet that I wore as I child; I think I got it when I was around eight or nine years old. It is a braided silver bracelet that only lies flat against the wrist when it is curved in a certain direction; you can't clasp it if it the bracelet is flipped the other way and curved the opposite direction. It still fits me, and when I put it on for this picture I remembered how tricky it is to balance the clasp on your wrist while you try to fasten it:
Now that I have a daughter, I wish that I had hung onto some of my jewelry so that I could pass it along to her. I tend to get rid of things that I don't use regularly, so it's unsurprising that my childhood self had that same tendency to purge items that were too small or didn't get enough use as I got older. If only I had held onto some of these things!
Sam and Lucy are at a fun stage right now, where they enjoy playing with each other. I love this picture that I took of them about six weeks ago, when they had an impromptu after-school snuggle after Sam got home from school. And recently, since the weather is getting warmer, I have loved watching them run around the house and chase each other on the lawn. About a week ago they were speaking to each other in a gibberish language during our lunch, and Lucy was laughing so hard that she was crying! Sam is such a sweet big brother and has a lot of patience for his strong-willed and oft-demanding little sister. One of the moments that I captured on video is when Sam willingly obliged to be a prince and dance with Lucy while she watched "Cinderella" a few weeks ago:
We went to IKEA for a few things in February, and the kids loved getting ice cream and pizza at the bistro afterward.
J took the kids to the Museum of Flight (I think I was volunteering at the art museum this day). Sam's gooney face is typical of the silly faces that he likes to do in photographs right now (unless we force him to "merely" smile).
Ferris Wheel ride!
Fancy dress-up: check
Pajamas underneath: check
Crazy hair: check
Sam on the climbing apparatus in the new KidsQuest. I think I was also volunteering at the museum when J took the kids here
Lucy continues to love snacks. She eat snacks continuously thoughout the day, and she particularly likes eating goldfish crackers, dried cereal, and baby food "crushers" (she only likes three specific flavors that are made by Plum Organics: peaches; a blend of blueberry, pear and purple carrot; and and apple-carrot). We are trying to get her to stop eating crushers, but she loves them so much that it has been hard to scale back. I have to vacuum my car on a very regular basis, because it is constantly filled with crumbs from her snacks. She also loves chocolate (she spits out most fruit-flavored candy), and would probably have all of her snacks consist of chocolate if I allowed it. And I had to promise her a snack so that she would pause for this picture (shown above).
Walking in Kubota Gardens when ixoj and phin came to visit with their families!
Sam won third place in the Pinewood Derby this year! He isn't a competitive person and didn't want to race this year (he only wanted to make a car that looked like a Mustang), but he changed his mind and then ended up doing pretty well in the race!
Probably Lucy's biggest achievement in recent weeks has been giving up her pacifier. I decided to do this while I was on spring break, because I knew the transition and consistent naps might be difficult. I had her cut them up herself, so that she knew that they were irreparably damaged. She had about two or three days of poor naps and difficulty sleeping at night (she screamed with anger and frustration the first two nights), but she has transitioned pretty well. She doesn't always nap consistently anymore, but it was time to get rid of her "pacis." And the most exciting thing for her is that she earned her "princess castle" as a reward for finally giving up her pacifier! She is thrilled with this Fisher Price castle, and she loves that her princess figurines say phrases respective to their characters and sing songs from the Disney movies.
Lucy loved the eyeball benches by Louise Bourgeois when we visited the OSP last month
I love getting to spend my days off of work with Lucy. We usually go to the YMCA and run errands, but sometimes we get to go on fun outings together like our recent day at the Olympic Sculpture Park. Today I picked her up from daycare and she said, "I have an idea!" [And then she spoke in a hushed whisper, which is what I do when I'm trying to get her excited.] "Let's have a picnic at the park!" It was so cute and surprising to see how she was trying to adopt my tactics of coercion, that I just had to agree.
We took the kids to see the new live action Beauty and the Beast film. Lucy wore her Belle dress and got up in the aisle to dance during "Tale As Old As Time." Belle is probably her favorite Disney princess.
I combined two photos together (see below) to remember my most stressful moment of each day: when Sam needs to practice the piano. I really want to focus on Sam and help him improve his piano skills, but Lucy has a hard time when I don't pay enough attention to her. I try to read books with Lucy, but that doesn't always work. These twenty minutes are usually filled with Sam calling, "Mom, I need help!" every few minutes, and then Lucy whines or complains whenever I turn away from her to help Sam. If I sit down on the piano bench next to Sam, Lucy comes over and dramatically moans and burrows her head in my lap. The other week I set up Lucy outside with bubbles and sidewalk chalk, and then I opened the door so that I could see Sam and Lucy at the same time (see photo). It kind of worked, although Lucy intermittently called, "Come outside right now, Mom!" for a several minutes.
Despite the stress of piano lessons and practicing, I'm really proud of Sam and all that he is learning. Right now he is interested in figuring out how to play different songs from third Harry Potter movie ("Prisoner of Azkaban") soundtrack.
You can also get a sense of the chaos that occurs during piano practicing in these video clips, in which Lucy tries to dance and sing "Let It Go" while Sam practices "Malagueña":
Lucy is saying "I'm going down the stairs...like Belle..." in this clip.
Lucy loves to dance, sing, and lip sync. She saw a road show performance (full of musical theater scenes) a few weeks ago, and she adored it. She came to the beginning of one of my choir rehearsals last week, and she has continually been repeating, "When I grow big, I'm going to be in choir." It's very cute. You can hear some of her singing (and Sam's piano playing in the background) in these clips, which also showcase her flair for drama:
*Note how Lucy gets distracted by her fancy toenail polish at the end of this second clip. Ha ha!
The other day the kids and I spent an hour playing frisbee and catch in the front yard. I discovered that Lucy really loves to play catch - maybe she'll play softball like I did!
Lucy loves princess dresses and the color pink. I may have introduced her to some dress-ups (and she also inherited several from family and friends), but her attachment to pink was not encouraged by me! She usually goes through several rounds of dress-ups every afternoon between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm.
Sam worked hard to spray paint a wooden board that will serve in a few weeks as a carnival balloon game for Cub Scouts. He enjoys scouts and likes getting to spend time with J (who continues to volunteer as the scoutmaster).
Sam has really been doing well in the Discovery Program at school and we are proud of his successes there. He has become good friends with three other boys in his class, and we are sad to learn that both Logan and Truman will be moving away within the next few weeks (before the school year ends). Sam may need to formulate a new play routine at recess soon, since he is losing some of his favorite playmates. He has especially loved getting to know Logan, and feels like he and Logan are exactly the same (he once said they "live in parallel universes"). He continues to be involved in imaginative play - he likes pretending things regarding wizards, dragons, Pokémon, and Minecraft.
Sam still reads voraciously and I've had to try and get him hooked on several new series (which can be a challenge because he really judges books by their covers). He really liked the Obert Skye books (like Pinocula and Potter Wookie) and also read The Spiderwick Chronicles books during reading time at school. lately he's also liked to tell me interesting facts while he read the Einstein the Hamster books by Janet Tashjian. I also got him interested in the House of Robots books too. Just last week I got him interested in the Tombquest series. He is in Book 5 of the Harry Potter series right now (he and J read it in the evenings), and he and I are about halfway through The Adventures of Calico Cotton together. (It was my favorite book as a child, and it has been interesting to read that book as an adult: I'm noticing some flaws in the plot and editing issues that I never considered as a child).
One of the things that I love and admire about Sam is that he has a naturally cheerful disposition. He never talks back and always cheerfully agrees to help when I ask him to do something. He also enthusiastically expresses his amazement or discovery when he has learned something new, and I think that the last sentence in a homework page (see above) really captures his personality and cute sense of wonder well.
I really feel so lucky to have such wonderful children. Sam is so mature and kind. He is an inherently good person and I really don't need to discipline him. Several weeks ago I caught Sam in a little white lie (he claimed to have eaten some yogurt that I had set aside for his snack, when in actuality he didn't eat anything), and he sobbed and sobbed once he could tell that I realized he lied. I didn't really need to discipline him at all, beyond expressing how important it is to be honest (and that he could have just explained to me that he wasn't hungry). He really does try to do what is right, and he is willing to sacrifice his personal interests to help his family members be happy. I am grateful for him.
Lucy is also a fun little spunky light in my life. She takes a little bit more work to keep happy, but I love her cute little presence and curiosity. I enjoy watching her take interest in art, music, singing, and dance. I feel like I'm getting a well-rounded experience as a parent, because my children have different interests and personalities. Overall, though, they are very similar in their creative, curious minds and their kind hearts.
We visited three ports in Mexico during our cruise: Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. It was fun to go back to Mazatlan around the time of our anniversary (since we went there for our honeymoon).
We spent the afternoon at the beach in Cabo San Lucas, at the Playa El Medano.
Cabo San Lucas doesn't have a large port for cruise ships, so we had to take little passenger boats from the ferry to the dock.
Lucy specifically asked to have her picture taken with this mermaid when we arrived at the dock for Cabo San Lucas. She kept saying, "She is beautiful!"
Our second stop was in Mazatlan. We signed up for an excursion tour to visit Las Labradas in Sinaloa, some ancient petroglyphs located a over an hour away from the Mazatlan port. Apparently this tour isn't popular with cruise-goers, however, because we were the only ones who signed up! In truth, though, the petroglyphs and the site weren't as interesting as I had hoped. Our guide was unequipped to explain the history of the area to an English-speaking audience, and the guide book was set up in a way so that it was hard to follow the map and hunt for the petroglyphs on the beach.
After the Labradas site, our driver took us back to Mazatlan for lunch at the El Capitano Restaurant along the beach. Our driver was very kind and said that he had the whole day reserved with us, so he waited at the restaurant while we visited the beach.
Sam is lucky that Mexican food includes quesadillas! He also liked trying Mexican orange soda.
This was probably my favorite beach day. The sand was quite fine and the water wasn't too cold. We stayed at the beach for a few hours.
Our last excursion day was in Puerto Vallarta. We got off of the boat and the kids were greeted by a parrot!
Despite the fun parrot, this day got off to a rough start. We had disembarked from the boat and were en route to the center of town in a taxi van, when J realized that he had left his wallet inside our stateroom. I purposely hadn't brought money with me, because J assured me that he had his wallet (which was incorrect, as we discovered!). Some other people in the van were kind enough to loan us some money to pay the driver, but then we had no money to buy anything in the city. We wandered around, penniless, for a while, before J left us at a beach and went to go back to the ship.
We really loved walking in the shady area of the Isla Cuale, where a small craft market is located. In fact, we came here twice in the same day - once without a wallet, and the second time with a wallet!
The N. S. de Guadalupe church has a neat crown that tops the bell tower, but that was pretty much the only interesting decorative feature of the church. I did love the little cloth dollies that vendors were selling outside this church, though, and once J got some money I made everyone wander around the city until I found a similar dolly for Lucy.
The plaza outside the church Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Refugio
After wandering around without money for an hour or so, J went back to the cruise ship and left us at a beach.
The beach excursion wt started off well, but ended up being one of the most stressful parts of the trip for me. This was a beach with a lot of large rocks and stones embedded in the sand, and the photo above was taken shortly before the surf kicked up a rock and pelted Sam in the shin. I tried to help clean the wound, but he was really emotional and hurt, and he got even more upset whenever sand got into the gash. It ended up being very hard trying to keep an eye on Lucy (and prevent her from kicking up sand) and keeping Sam calm. Sam cried and moaned and whined for most of the hour that J was gone. Sam finally perked up just as J came back, and even had enough humor to name the beach "Hyperspace Beach" (because the rocks get pulled into the surf really quickly, just like how the stars zoom past in Star Wars during hyperspace flying).
We recovered from all of the drama of the day with a fantastic meal at the Cerveceria Union along the beach. It was so calm and relaxing, the food was great, and we even got to relax a bit because Lucy fell fast asleep during the meal!
The rest of the afternoon was so lovely. We walked along the waterfront, visited shops and markets (including going back to the Isla Cuale), and happened to enter the waterfront right as the sun was going down. After such a hectic beginning, the day ended perfectly and we had a lovely ending to our cruise ship excursions.
This is one of my favorite pictures of the whole trip
A few weeks after we came home, Sam asked, "Mom, when can we go on a cruise again?" I don't know if we'll be going on another cruise for several years, but I'm glad that he had such a great time! We all did, really.
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