--- RUSHCAPADES! ---

Words of the Week: Candy-Candy, Person, Ubberbuddy, Ointmeal

2011-12-28T06:34:00.001-08:00

Ointmeal (noun): a cooked breakfast made from ground or rolled oats

Ubberbuddy (pronoun): every person

Candy-Candy (noun): a stick of hard candy with a curve at one end, usually peppermint-flavored with red and white stripes

Person (noun): a small bag, pouch or case for carrying things, usually used by women**

Video Examples:

**This one, that has been said for weeks, corrected itself before I got it on video. So sad.

Christmas Crafts

2011-12-26T05:50:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Rushes

2011-12-25T05:30:00.000-08:00

Sending our love to you from Beijing. We hope you had a wonderful holiday and a happy new year!

Preschool Christmas Party

2011-12-21T17:51:00.000-08:00

Chinese Kitchen: Tastes of China

2011-12-20T18:09:00.000-08:00

I was a little disappointed when I showed up for what I thought was going to be Chinese Winter Comfort Foods and found myself at Tastes of China. I had been looking forward to comfort food for weeks but got the time wrong by six hours.

Boil your tofu first -- who would have thought?

Stir-frying gluten. These golf ball-sized bread balls really cooked down. See the last picture.

Oiling the Wok - I want to get a squirt bottle at home for my oil. So handy.

Heating the oil.

Browning the meat.

Sichuan Mapo Doufu (Beef Tofu)

Dong Bei Da La Pi - Northeast Potato Noodle Salad

I haven't made any of these at home yet. We made two batches of the Dong Bei Da la Pi in class; one with vinegar and one without. I love the experimentation and comparison that happens at these classes.
The one on the right is called Si Gua Mian Jin. It is stir-fried gourd, bamboo shoots and gluten balls.

Street Food: Kettlecorn

2011-12-05T05:50:00.000-08:00

This Beijing Street Food sends its tendrils of intoxicating smell that make you turn your bicycle around in search of the sweet-salt goodness, unlike some other aromatic Beijing street food, it does not disappoint.

It comes with Chocolate or Strawberry "Smell" or Extra Sugar.

One morning after enjoying a bag of kettlecorn for dessert, Magnolia lead Kaleia on sneak expeditions to eat the leftovers. Definitely our favorite Beijing snack!

Our First Beijing Snow

2011-12-02T15:34:00.001-08:00

Walking home from school -- pretty exciting!

It was a two hat kind of day, one for your head and one for your stuffed animals.

They found these cute guys near our house. When I got home, the first thing out of her mouth was "Forks and Spoons!!" Brian had to explain her excitement came from these snowman appendages.

Words of the Lately: Frigate, Gark, Psy-ged, Dopdopdopdop, Freppery

2011-11-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

Frigate* (noun) 1) a modern warship that is smaller than a destroyer 2) the first formal academic classroom based learning environment, usually composed of children of ages 3 or 4, alternate pronunciation: Pre-K

"FRIGATE 1B! FRIGATE 1B! Line up, line up! It's time to go outside!" - Teacher Magnolia, clapping her hands to get her pretend students' attention

*This word was recently changed from Cricket.

Gark (adjective): having very little or no light
"'s a gark" - Kaleia, age 2

Psy-ged (adjective): emotionally aroused, usually shown by scrunching up ones arms close to the body, fists near the chin, quivering

"So psy-ged. I habba pack-pack. I gonna see Teacher Day-bed, Teacher Kara." - Kaleia, age 2, on the way to school

Dopdopdopdop (command): Halt

Freppery (adjective): tending or liable to cause slipping as on ice, oil, or wet surfaces

"Dopdopdopdop! Floor's freppery!" - Kaleia, age 2, copying her parent's warning to her sister

A Date!

2011-11-29T07:14:00.000-08:00

My school was closed for Thanksgiving and the day after. Maggie and Kaleia's school didn't. So Brian and I took advantage of the "babysitting" and had our first date since August. We visited one of the art districts here in Beijing.

Street Food: Jianbing (Chinese Savory Crepes)

2011-11-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

For weeks, I passed many of these cooking stations equipped with a hot flat griddle and attached to a bicycle (everything in Beijing seems to be attached to a bicycle), with their delicious smells tempting me. I love crepes, but it took several colleagues recommendations before I overcame my timidity for street food and let my curiosity and stomach brave this Beijing breakfast staple. At first, I mimed my request for just a little spice. But now, I'm a regular Beijinger. I have my favorite vendor and I take the full hit of spicy goodness. Now that the weather is colder (by colder, I mean freezing!), an added bonus is the warmth this pocket of goodness provides as I walk from the subway to my bus stop.

Directions: (I've yet to try it at home, but I'd love to perfect it)

A ladle full of batter is spread over the hot griddle.
Then an egg is cracked on top and gently scrambled until it is set into the crepe.
The best chefs sprinkle cilantro and chives on to the egg before flipping the crepe.
Once flipped, hoisin, plum, chili or fermented tofu sauce is lightly painted on with a brush. I have no idea which my vendor uses.
Next, the bing -- a deep fried cracker -- is placed in the middle.
Quickly, the crepe is folded around the bing, cracked with a metal spatula and scooped into a plastic bag.

Delicious, filling, and only 3.5 yuan (55 cents!).

Chinese Kitchen: Yunnan

2011-11-27T06:23:00.000-08:00

Prep work

Lotus Leaves

Dig all the way to the bottom to turn. For the meat, turn it quickly at the beginning to break it up, then let it sit to brown.

Adding pickled cabbage to the mix gave the dish a beautiful color combination and interesting flavor.

Mushroom Baked in Lotus Leaves

The ginger, garlic, mint, cilantro, lime and lotus make this pocket fragrant and delicious.

The Famous Heisanduo - Pork, Peppers, and Pickled Kohlrabi

Bamboo Fungus and Okra Soup
Although it was cool to see the Fungus go from slimy and flat to round penne like tubes, I won't be remaking this one.

The Little Things: Wedding Photography

2011-11-26T07:14:00.000-08:00

Yet another thing you probably won't find in a travel guide: young Chinese couples are crazy about wedding photography. All the photos below were taken in the span of little more than an hour on a sunny September day in Chaoyang Park. You couldn't turn a corner without stumbling upon another costumed couple or three. Photographer friends, if business ever gets slow in North America, take note. Click "Read More" to see all the photos.

I should mention, it's not any of their actual wedding days. Apparently they take these images well in advance to display them at their reception.

I should also mention that this is not their actual wedding attire. If you look closely at her back you can see that that dress is no where near being able to zip up. It's clipped to her undergarment.

I will love you Always (Coca-Cola)

Bonus points if you spot extra couples in the background.

Ummmm...

"Honey, watch this!"

*POOF* "Ha ha ha, oh honey, your flatulence always did amaze me!"

Soccer --->

Lots of bonus points here

"You want me to lean like this?"

Hot.

Costume bags! Costume bag sherpas! Each couple does many, many costume changes.

Can you find all 6?

These photos were just some of our favorites. We have more. And there were a lot more we didn't take...

Maggie's Makeover by Mama

2011-11-25T23:09:00.000-08:00

Before:

After:

Maggie Cam: Bike Ride in the Chariot

2011-11-25T06:25:00.000-08:00

Mama loading the kid seat with her backpack

Mama locking on the chariot

The mesh door

Reflection in the plastic window

Riding down the street

Street through the plastic. It is not really that smoggy today.

Kaleia's bike - She can't figure out how to ride it.

My bike - I can go really fast, but I don't have a basket.

Red Cup

2011-11-10T05:28:00.000-08:00

Just after Halloween, many friends were posting on facebook about the arrival of the Red Cups. So I decided to take the longer walk to the Liangmaqiao subway station to see if they made it to Beijing.

Nope.

I was surprised. Afterall, red is China's color. I got my Chai Tea stand in -- Black Tea Latte, and headed to school.

Then, a week or so later, I headed back to my favorite local Starbucks for a pick me up. I frequent Starbucks way more here than I did at home. Partially, it is their amazing Honey Raisin Muffins. But, mostly it helps soothe homesickness. The caffeine doesn't hurt either.

This time, the store was decked out Christmas style. When my order was complete, I was handed my Red Cup. I never really understood the craze over the Red Cups. But this year, it felt like home.

Now, if I could only get them to import some Chai Tea...

The Little Things: Augmented Horticulture, Part 2

2011-11-06T05:37:00.000-08:00

In part one, we shared how fake plastic leaves were mixed in with real ones. Fall arrived and the imposter green leaves were removed, leaving the real ones to fade to red, orange, brown and yellow.

Then, I happened upon this.

An army of horticulture augmenters: one carefully stripping the tree of its naturally beautiful yellow fall leaves, two attaching swags of faux yellow leaves (note the neat pile above). And one to sweep up those pesky real ones.

I suppose it does get all the clean up done at once. But for some reason it just doesn't seem right.

Trick or Treat 2011

2011-11-01T05:45:00.000-07:00

After a week home sick, our Ladybug and Dancing Monkey were able to go to preschool just in time for their Halloween festivities.

The Ladybug's class toured around her school and our apartment complex, chanting "Halloween" and "Trick or Treat" as they marched two by two. She got five pieces of candy. After eating one at school, she decided that she had the perfect amount of candy for our family of four. She proudly presented each of us with our piece of candy from her loot when we all got home.

Our Dancing Monkey's class had a special field trip to a restaurant owned by a classmate's parents for their Halloween party. She came home pretty worn out with three fake tattoos and a blinking LED pumpkin pin.

Our Ladybug "flying" home

It has been a rough few weeks with lots of "tricks" but we're hopeful we are on an up swing and there might even be some "treats" in the near future.

Chinese Kitchen: The Essentials

2011-10-20T05:14:00.000-07:00

My first actual cooking class at the Hutong was The Essential Chinese Kitchen. We first learned about typical pantry ingredients. Tasting small dabs of different soya sauce on the back of our hand we experienced the difference in taste between light, regular, and dark varieties. We also got a lesson in the Chinese beliefs about the balance of foods based on seasons and colors as well as some of the foods affects on the body.

We practiced our knife skills, tucking the finger tips under, using your knuckles as a guide. As I chopped memories of cooking in my dad's kitchen flooded in. My experiences with his sharp knives must of paid off because my teacher commented that I seemed very comfortable in the kitchen. I'd love to find one of these great knives for myself.

Next, we learned about using a wok. First, heat the wok on high until it starts smoking. Then add the oil and reduce the heat. The oil is ready when you touch a chopstick point on the bottom of the pan and bubble form on the tip. Since cooking with a wok is fast and at a high temperature, we learned to blanch vegetables in advance to even out cooking time in the wok and use a slight amount of corn starch to protect them from the heat and keep them vibrant and crunchy. When stir-frying, mix from the bottom.

We made three dishes in total, each of them twice, with slight variations so we could taste the affects of altering the recipe. Chinese cooking is about using what you have and adjusting recipes to taste so it was great to experiment with the chef before trying it at home.

This is our Class's version of Beef with Garlic Roots

These are my attempts at home:

Beef with Garlic Roots

I've made this a few times now. Mine turned out less watery than the one at my class.
I think I was pickier about the meat I bought.

Stir Fried Celery and Carrot with Cashews

This was a pretty yummy dish, but I haven't made it very much.
For best results, you are supposed to blanch the vegetables before stir frying.
This multi-step method is not easy in my tiny kitchen, so I avoid this one.

"Xihongshi Chao Jidan"

Stir Fried Tomatoes with Eggs

This is a huge hit at our house and has become a regular weekly meal.

I mix the hot peppers in at the end after I've taken out servings for the girls.

Liang Ge Superstars

2011-10-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

Question: What makes Chinese people laugh?

Answer: Sponge Bob Square Pants, foreigners trying to pronounce Chinese words, and this.

Our Stroller.

If it weren’t for the one-child policy, Phil and Ted’s tandem strollers might have a huge untapped market here, because I don’t know any other single object that so easily puts smiles on faces in Beijing. Everyone thinks it is hilarious.

Okay, maybe it’s not just the stroller. It might have something to do with the contents.

But the stroller might just be the perfect delivery for the doubly adorable toddler punchline.

Magnolia usually sits in the front and loosens them up, gets them smiling. Then as we pass, most people laugh in surprise and exclaim “Liang ge!” Two!

Our Chinese is still pretty limited and most of the time our aural experience is the equivalent of this:

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah TWO! Hahahahaha!

+++

We were warned that our girls would receive a lot of attention. My seat-neighbor on the flight over told us that her daughters--the youngest was 10 or 11 when they first arrived--would have their hair petted in the street by total strangers, and they weren't even as blond (or toddler-cute) as Magnolia and Kaleia. She assured me that it wasn't as weird as it sounded, that I need to accept it. She was probably right. If I tried to fend off even a portion of the gawkers I'd quickly become a very prickly person. Remember this video we posted a while back?

+++

Young Chinese Man (eager to practice his English): You have two daughters?

Me: Yep, they’re mine.

YCM: They are superstars now.

Me: Haha, yeah. It’s kind of weird.

YCM: They are wery attractive.

Me: (Uh...) Thanks.

I don't know how I feel about any twenty-something male saying my daughters are "wery attractive" but he was right. Magnolia and Kaleia are superstars now. A trip to a park on a beautiful day looks like this:

These men were here to take photos of the black swan viewing area.

But at one point at least 90% of the umpteen hobbyists and professional photographers had their lens squarely on the girls.

Sometimes, especially when someone in the group speaks English, they will ask if they can take a picture of them.

Sometimes the girls perform for the paparazzi.

And sometimes it's just a lot of eyes and bodies.

And sometimes someone watches you eat an entire meal.

Superstardom does have its perks. Sometimes, when you're at a computer store trying very hard to buy a computer for 5 hours, someone or somethree will entertain your children.

At gatherings there are always plenty of eyes making sure the girls are safe and entertained. Having children here has definitely made the face of a daunting city a lot friendlier than it otherwise might have been.

Magnolia doesn't always appreciate the extra attention.

But she did like the free manicure.

We're hoping all the extra attention doesn't go to their heads. So far, Maggie hasn't forgotten the little people. This is her xièxiè (thank you) card to the spa (which is just down the hall from us).

Now, I try to be a fair and balanced blogger so, lest I mislead you, I must say: not everyone here loves Magnolia and Kaleia.

This girl doesn't.

Her mom made her give Kaleia one of her cookies.

Maggie Cam: Summer Palace

2011-10-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

This week our Bellingham friend, Kelsey came to Beijing to meet up with her sister, Sara, who is teaching English in Nanjing. We joined them for a day of sightseeing at the Summer Palace. Here is Maggie's documentation. (If you are reading at Rushcapades, be sure to click "Read more" below to see all of her pictures.) Look for more pictures from the rest of us on our flickr page soon.

Words of the Week: Shrockwet, Racamoni, Medium

2011-10-05T06:32:00.000-07:00

Shrockwet (noun): a preparation of the seeds of cacao, roasted, husked and ground, often sweetened and flavored, (especially good with added sea salt)

"Mama, what's in your mouth? Shrockwet? Ahwant some!" Kaleia, age 2

Racamoni (noun): small, tubular pasta made from wheat flour

"Ganks for the racamoni, Mama. rrYummy!" Kaleia, age 2

Medium (noun): 1) a middle state or condition
2) an assembly or conference of persons for a specific purpose

"OKAY! EVERYBODY COME SIT DOWN! IT IS TIME FOR OUR MEDIUM!!!" Magnolia, age 3

The Hutong

2011-10-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

On the long flight to Beijing, Brian learned from our first China friend, Park, about a cool Beijing community education center and cooking school, called The Hutong. Knowing that it is one of my goals to learn to cook Chinese cuisine, Brian surprised me with my first class shortly after we moved into our apartment.

It was a Market Tour, and while not a cooking class, it was the perfect introduction. Our teacher guided us through a local Chinese market, explaining the different sections, quizzing us on various familiar and unfamiliar produce, and suggesting common uses for foods and spices. Then she helped each of us make purchases -- a bag full of fresh produce for only a few dollars.

Afterward, Brian and I ended up talking to one of the Hutong chefs after our tour and he invited us to a charity event later that evening. We had good food, great margaritas, and got to know some new friends. I'm looking forward to more Hutong learning, starting tomorrow with The Chinese Kitchen: The Essentials!

The Hutong sitting room

The Hutong kitchen preparing for the charity event

Entrance to the art room and stairs to the balcony

Courtyard from above

Hutong rooftops

The Hutong upstairs patio

Fresh produce!

Familiar and unfamiliar

Peppercorns and chilies - so many great spices

The Legend of Zelda: Beijing Adventure

2011-09-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are that much closer to rescuing the Princess Zelda and defeating the evil Ganon. No, we haven’t reassembled the eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom and we haven't acquired the Silver Arrow.

We bought bikes!

When you arrive in a new city, across an ocean, in a new country with a drastically different culture, it’s a little like playing The Legend of Zelda for the first time. You can look at a map of the terrain ahead of time, which helps a little, but it gives you no sense of what it’s like on the ground. (You just don’t know, for example, which old woman will give you the potion you need, or, in this case, which potion won’t put you on the toilet for the next 24 hours.)

Shannon and I, in our first week or so, felt like we only knew a tiny portion of the greater landscape, like we were on some sort of training level, acquiring the basic skills. This is where you get water, this is how you pay for it. This might be an okay breakfast food, these crackers taste like fish.

Staying in a dorm on a gated school campus let us learn those things at our own pace and we could venture out into level 1 whenever we chose but even the training level was a challenge with jetlagged toddlers, one of whose favorite new pastimes was "wunning away!" “Level 1: The Street,” being the first level, ought to have been a little easier than it was, but we chose to play the timed version, arriving just 32 hours before Shannon started her school duties. Nevertheless, we survived all the dangers of Level 1: spitting men, unregulated traffic, gawkers, toddler coddlers, and the sneakiest of them all, silent scooters. Even our toddler sidekicks are getting savvy. Kaleia hails “Kaxis” like she's been doing it since before she could ride a bicycle--oh wait, she can't ride a bicycle...

Once we finally found an apartment and moved across the city (to Chaoyang District), Shannon said she felt like she was having to redo the first level every time she took the subway back to Haidian. I felt like my mental game map of the Beijing Adventure was oddly pocketed. My personal Beijing map would show three nodes (Tsinghua International School, Wudaokou’s main drag, and the Ocean Express apartments in Sanyuanqiao), each with odd little tendrils showing where I had walked, and all connected by long subway lines or bus rides. Everything else on the very large map was totally blacked out (like the dungeons in Zelda).

We have now been in Beijing for 50+ days and our mental game maps have grown, with each node acquiring more tendrils and more territory. We know some great restaurants. We have some new friends. But we still don't know what the old man meant when he said “Eastmost Penninsula is the secret.”

In fact, we don't understand 95% of what anyone says to us but the game and our skills are certainly expanding. And we have bikes!

Sure, I may have mistakenly bought a woman’s bike and sure, our terrible two-ster may have had a few meltdowns in the bike store but it felt good to breeze through the summery air of Beijing streets. I’m pretty sure there’s no bicycle in The Legend of Zelda item list; Link didn’t know what he was missing out on.

The Little Things: "Why are you hitting yourself?"

2011-09-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

Somehow common childhood torture techniques --- er, I mean games --- seem to cross generations and continents. I hear of people that have experienced the same ones I did: "mimic everything the other person says", "I'm not touching you," and "Why are you hitting yourself?" Most of these games are really only fun for the person in control. I remember fighting very hard to keep my own hands from hitting myself in the face.

As I walk to the subway each morning I pass groups of elderly Chinese during their morning exercise, and the question echos in my head, Why are you hitting yourself? I'm still not in control of the hitting, but I watch with wonder as arms and legs are slapped repeatedly. Is there some health benefit I am unaware of?

Usually, the body parts are slapped gently with their open palm. Apparently, sometimes other instruments are needed. One woman swings a pouch of (I assume) marbles one-handed, gently flagellating her back as she walks around the courtyard.

Another woman strolling by, and deep in conversation with a friend, meticulously taps her skull with a tiny metal hammer. A hammer??

I want to yell at her:

Why are you hitting yourself?!

The Three Little Pigs

2011-09-29T06:35:00.001-07:00

The Rush Theatre Presents...

Three Little Pigs

Directed and Produced by Magnolia Rush

~ Starring ~

Magnolia Rush as The Eldest Pig

Brian Rush as The Middle Pig

Kaleia Rush as The Youngest Pig

Shannon Rush as the Big Bad Wolf

Cinematography ~ Brian Rush

Casting ~ Magnolia Rush

Running Time: 3:19

Sponge Bob Split Pants!, or, Potty Training in China

2011-09-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer, one of the most insane periods of our lives, Kaleia initiated potty training. Running late for a flight or as my brother's wedding ceremony was starting, Kaleia, with aggravating cuteness, would say "n'go potty." I would use every stall tactic and distraction I could think of. "Let's look over here! Do you see any babies? You don't need to use the potty, you have a diaper on," I heard myself say. Oh no, what I am saying?! I am going to miss a window of potty training opportunity, she is going to get used to having a diaper and be the only kid in elementary school still not potty trained!

But I couldn't bring myself to start. Every 10 days or so we were relocating, often to hotels where accidents on the floor might be more than annoying, they could get expensive, and I didn't have any of my home-base cleaning supplies. If I get her potty trained now, she'll just revert back to diapers anyway due to the transition to a new country...

Upon arriving in Beijing, Kaleia's campaign to use the potty intensified. Newly reunited with my parenting partner, Brian and I decided to start obliging her, but definitely still keep her in diapers. We were still living in temporary housing and had so many pressing basic needs to attend to.

A favorite movie in our household right now is Monsters, Inc. There is a scene where the little girl Boo sits on the potty for what seems like a long time to Sully, the big blue monster. Boo happily sings as he asks "are you done yet?" We went through weeks of this. Each time waiting for nothing to happen.

Then, shortly after we moved into our new apartment and she unpacked her new panties, Kaleia had success.

At home she's doing pretty well. Out in China is another story. I find myself reverting back to my old ways. "Let's put these plastic pants on over your panties just in case you have an accident" or in case Mama can't find a bathroom to take you to that doesn't totally gross her out.

Most of the public restrooms are "squatters." This is a clean one. I won't subject you to the rest. Holding a toddler up over one of these is not easy.

Which is maybe why Chinese parents don't bother. With split pants you can go ANYWHERE.

Who lives in a pineapple under the pee?

Words of the Week: Um more, Tiss-a-nugg and Luhyoo

2011-09-28T06:24:00.000-07:00

Um more (phrase/request): a request for something to be done an additional time

Tiss-a-nugg (phrase/request): signs of affection involving touching lips to and wrapping ones arms around another

Luhyoo (phrase): a phrase said to express deep feelings to someone special to you

"Um more tiss-an-ugg. Luhyoo." Kaleia at bedtime, over and over

Word of the Week: Coccyx

2011-09-21T05:46:00.000-07:00

Coccyx (noun):
1) a small triangular bone forming the lower extremity of the spinal column in humans, consisting of four ankylosed rudimentary vertebrae

2) a pair of thin, tapered sticks, often of wood or ivory, held in one hand between the thumb and fingers and chiefly used in China, Japan and other Asian countries for lifting food into the mouth

Our "coccyx" skills are improving.

Kaleia using "Coccyx" week 1 in Beijing

Kaleia using "coccyx" week 6 in Beijing

Magnolia, at week 6, will eat only with "coccyx."

Maggie Cam: Haircut

2011-09-20T05:54:00.000-07:00

Chinese barber poles have checkers not spirals, and they're everywhere!

Brian suggested he might commit to another Beardification Process, if he didn't get a haircut soon.
So we made it a priority.

Kaleia reading style magazines.

Self Portrait

Close Up

This photo is mine. Maggie didn't capture the end result. Not bad for under $5 and not knowing the language, don't you think? Maybe sometime he'll try the old men under the bridge that give haircuts for free.

The Little Things: Augmented Horticulture

2011-09-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

It's not the prevalence of plastic plants that gets me. It's how often they are mixed in with real ones, outside, when the real ones seem to be doing their job just fine. I hope someone can explain this to me one day.

Naming Animals, Literally

2011-09-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

"Float through the jungles of the world and see how many animals you can name."

These are the instructions in Magnolia's bedtime book of choice, Fun Finger Mazes. Maggie is a good listener. She drags her finger through the "water" maze and proclaims, "The hippopotamus is Shilong... The Elephant is Haozhong... The monkeys are Teresa and Sharni."

What's next Fun Finger Mazes, what's next? Bring it on.

The Little Things: Squiggly Straws and Pop Can Pull Tabs

2011-09-15T05:43:00.000-07:00

There are plenty of big differences between Beijing and Bellingham. These are some of The Little Things, the things you probably won't find in any travel guide.

Words of the Week: Guhwrinka and Doo-bicy

2011-09-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

Guhwrinka (verb): to take water or another substance into the mouth and swallow it

Doo-bicy (adjective): containing, to an extensive extent, spice that causing pain in your mouth

When in China, lots of the food is doo-bicy so you might need a guhwrinka wah-der, but make sure you don't get it from the tap.

Maggie Cam: Lama Temple

2011-09-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

On an unusually fussy day for Magnolia, while we were attending to the labyrinthine bureaucracy that is expat life in China, a new colleague offered her digital camera to Magnolia to amuse her. Maggie loved it almost as much as we did. The strategy has continued to be a valuable parenting tool. An unexpected bonus is the unique perspective her shots give on our adventure. Sure, there are many out of focus but in the midst of the dozens of shots of her legs, there are some real gems. So it is with great pleasure that we announce our newest regular feature: Maggie Cam.

Our first edition is our trip to the Lama Temple.

My New Favorite Tradition:

2011-09-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning breakfast with my girls.

Word of the Week: Penne-tayo

2011-09-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

Penne-tayo (noun): an arrangement of the hair in a long lock drawn tightly against the back of the head and cinched so as to hang loosely.

"I want to have a penne-tayo!" - Kaleia

Nĭ Hăo!

2011-09-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

Sometime a few weeks ago.S: Brian, do you realize we haven’t had a blog post since April 27th?!
B: I know. Life has been a little crazy.
Screams heard from the other room.
M: Moooommmm, Kaleia is pulling my hair...

Later.
S: Okay where were we?
B: Blog. Do you want to write a post tonight?
S: Sure, but where do we start? At the beginning with what started all this craziness? Or with the current insanity?
B: Maybe a little of both, tell the now while it’s fresh and fill in a few holes while we’re at it. Let’s just brainstorm for now.
S: ...
B: Shan? Are you asleep?

Another night.
B: We're in China!
S: Yeah, there is so much I want to write about!
B: I know. I feel like people don’t even really know Kaleia. We have this little character to unleash on the world!
S: Maybe we should kick off our grand re-opening with this video:

B: Perfect. Now, to figure out how to get a VPN so we can post it...

Word of the Week: Pancake

2011-04-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

Pancake (noun): 1) a thin, flat cake of batter fried on both sides on a griddle 2) a pack, or knapsack, often of canvas or nylon, to be carried on one's back

"Can we have pancakes for breakfast?" - Magnolia

"Eat. Pancake." - Kaleia

"Wanna pancake. Pancake!" - Kaleia, reaching for her black "school" bag

First Days of "School"

2011-04-26T23:08:00.000-07:00

For show-and-tell Maggie chose four ducklings and carefully placed them in her backpack. Now, while she puts her things into her not yet labeled cubby and surveys her still unfamiliar classroom, on this her second day of pre-school, I pull the teacher aside to tell him about the ducklings Magnolia was so adamant to share. You see, they're imaginary.

The teachers are great though, and are learning quickly. When asked what they should call her on the first day, "Magnolia or Maggie?," she informed them, "Actually, call me duckling." I never heard whether they complied or not but I was impressed at how well they described my daughters after the first day:

At the end of day 1, Maggie didn't want to leave and wasn't even sure if she wanted to talk to me but eventually agreed to show me around the classroom -- which toys she played with, which ones she helped clean up, the things that another kid messed up. She enthusiastically told me about the soft frog blanket that she used for her snooze. I finally got her to leave willingly by saying we needed to go see Kaleia's classroom.

Unlike her sister, Kaleia was ready to go home. When we peeked in, she was happily playing but, as soon as she saw us, ran over and said, "Car. Bag."

Both girls slept amazingly--ahh, the secondary benefits of preschool!--and on morning 2 were just as excited as they got ready. Drop off, including the requisite imaginary duckling warning, was smooth again.

At the end of the day, Maggie had to finish what she was building before she would even consider coming home. Kaleia was playing outside when we came to pick her up and the two sisters ran and embraced. Then they went back to play in Kaleia's class.

I was always hesitant about daycare and felt very blessed that our girls have been home with family until now. We've always thought they would go to preschool, but we've wanted to homeschool them for elementary school (more about that in a future blog post, hopefully). Brian and I still see ourselves as their primary caregivers and teachers, but I am appreciating this experience and all that they are already gaining from it.

Here is a video of Maggie's response when I told her she was going to start going to "school":

Head Bibs

2011-04-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

2011-04-12T15:42:00.000-07:00

Recently, I had the honor of throwing a bridal shower for my little sister, Allison.

Significant women from every stage of her life gathered to celebrate her upcoming wedding to her college sweetheart.

Alli loves tradition but she's also fashionable. So our party for her was themed around the old saying "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." She was s good sport, and wore my mom's heavy veil the entire day. We borrowed tea cups from many faithful friends and served traditional and trendy shower fare. There were several games that drew out information about Alli and Taylor as well as solicited advice for the new couple. But the most memorable activity was our Love themed sing off. See for yourself:

If you are interested in seeing all the pictures from the event, visit my flickr site.

Exercising with Auntie Alli

2011-04-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

Sharing Popcorn

2011-04-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

Bedtime conversations with Kaleia

2011-03-13T22:06:00.001-07:00

One night a while back bedtime was particularly difficult. Brian went in to get the girls quiet. A few minutes later, I went to provide reinforcement. Kaleia was crying "Mama, Mama, Mama!", arms outstretched.
Kaleia: "Kai-ing."
Me: "Yes, you were crying."
Kaleia: "Maygno. Waher"
Me: "Yes, Maggie was crying too. She wanted water. She's all done now."
Kaleia: "Oh."
Kaleia: "Papa."
Me: "Yes, Papa came in. It is time for nigh-night. Do you want a snuggle?"
Kaleia: (Nod) "Sing."
Me: "Do you want to sing Twinkle, Twinkle?"
Kaleia: (Nod) "Manu."

So precious. Her most requested bedtime song is "Manu" or O come, o come Emmanuel.

More recently I went in to check on her after she had been bounce-chanting. I thought she would tire out and fall asleep but figured I better check on her after it lasted over an hour. When I went in she said:

"Pizza?"

2am and our 2 year old is requesting pizza?

The next night Brian tended to a similar situation and swears she requested money.

Brian's Favorite Albums of 2009

2011-03-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

Yup, that says 2009. I'm a little slow with my lists. I had this one mostly figured out in 2009 but couldn't decide which of my top two was going to be my number one. I'm still not totally sure but I'll go with the one I listen to more.

The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns

Playful drums, earnest vocals more than a little reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel, and youthful exuberance in every strum of the guitar could be a recipe for disaster but in this case it all works to make this one of the most fun and listenable records of the year.

The Antlers - Hospice

I’ve heard that this story of a hospice employee and his terminally ill patient is merely a device to describe an emotionally abusive relationship. They say it isn’t real. My emotions don’t care. I spent many nights alone in a darkened car with this record. Cathartic.

Noah and the Whale - The First Day of Spring

If there were going to be a break-up record on this list I thought for most of the year it would be filled by The Swell Season, who did churn out some great songs on a solid record, but this disc swooped in to take it’s place. Runs the gambit of emotional tumult, which I can only imagine, since my only break-up was 12-year-old style.

Speech Debelle - Speech Therapy

The deserving winner of Britain’s Mercury prize became the first rap/hip hop album I’ve really loved. Debelle eschews the egotism and chauvinism that so ubiquitous in hip-hop, instead sharing her hopes, her vulnerability, intimacy.

Alela Diane - To Be Still

Beautiful wist to be sung during those quiet pauses while the ship is anchored or the horses are hitched.

tUnE-yArDs - BiRd BrAiNs

Tom Waits and Kimya Dawson locked their baby in the basement and she made this raucous little lo-fi wonder.

Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle

I’ve heard of speak-singing but I didn’t think it was possible to speak-croon until I heard this lovely batch of orchestrated folk, full of stories ambling through nature.

David Bazan - Curse Your Branches

Despite a few dull songs, the album, which is an intimate self-portrait of a recovering alcoholic who has lost his faith, is emotionally devastating. It's capped off with a most tender and heart-breaking finale in which Bazan tells of “long walks with my daughter/ who is lately full of questions about You.”

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Up from Below

If only they cut half the songs, this could have been in my top three. Still, as it stands, Up from Below boasts a handful of truly great songs, including my undisputed favorite of the year, "Home," which can’t not make me smile.

Rodrigo y Gabriela - 11:11

Not quite as good as their debut, these heavy-metallers-turned-flamenco-guitarists nevertheless don’t have a song on here that won’t get your feet stomping.

The XX - XX

How is it that music so simple can be so fresh. Turn off the lights and succumb to the sexy, sleepy malaise.

The Twilight Sad - Forget the Night Ahead

Wall-of-sound Guitars + Thick Scottish Vocals = Never Gets Old

Andrew Bird - Noble Beast

I can't imagine this playful logophile and adroit instrumentalist putting out an album that didn't make my top 15.

Iron and Wine - Around the Well

This double disc compilation of songs not found on any of his LPs may be the last hurrah for the kind of hushed, poetic lo-fi folk that made me fall in love with Sam Beam. Push yourself musically Sam, but please, please come back to your bread and butter some day! Features one of my favorite songs of the decade, "The Trapeze Swinger."

Dan Deacon - Bromst

This frenetic experimental-leaning electronic record from the man known for making tunes that sound like the Chipmunks on speed, is unexpectedly beautiful.

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

I'm still incredulous that pop as catchy as this doesn't have me gagging after 10 songs.

We're going on a hunt

2011-03-04T06:55:00.000-08:00

We're going on a hunt. We're going on a hunt. To find Maggie's _________. To find Maggie's __________. We're going to look high, we're going to look low. We're going on a hunt.

We're going on a hunt. We're going on a hunt. To find Maggie's _________. To find Maggie's __________. We're going to look left/under/in, we're going to look right/over/out. We're going on a hunt.

Repeat until object is found.
This song emerged recently as a hit in the Rush household. Tired of unwillingness to look for desired objects, Mama decided to make it more of a game, for their interest and her sanity. And maybe, just maybe, they'll learn some finding strategies for themselves. Lately, hunts happen regularly (and sometimes independently!) for desired objects and just for the sake of a hunt!

To Magnolia, at three years

2011-03-02T06:15:00.001-08:00

Birthday Queen

Dear Magnolia,

You made it to three! The count down to your self-ordained day for bed-time-panty-wearing is finally over.

You woke up from a nap with this on.
The red on your legs is a shirt.

In a recent email Grandma Rush described you as "sweetness personified." I couldn't agree more. Oh, you have your crabby moments and do your fair share of whining, but overall you are a pleasant, helpful kid. Lately, when those crabby moments occur you will announce to the family "I need some alone time." Off you go to your room to read books on your bed. Ten minutes later, a happy little girl emerges. I know plenty of adults that don't have the self-awareness or maturity to do that!

Before I became your Mama I had no idea how elaborate pretend play could be. About 6 months ago your friend Dora (who is connected to the cartoon celebrity only by name) appeared. Since then the troupe has grown to include several regulars: Dora's Mama, Laag, Shoosh, Baby Louie (who is a girl by the way), Baby Jesus and Baby Jesus's Mama. We also interact regularly with your baby, Chica, and your favorite animal friends: Mona, Owl, Penguin, and Zebra. In fact, one of my friends commented recently how they love to see what animal you bring with you each time you visit. Sometimes you are a baby penguin, others you are a tiger. You go to school to do your papers and you put your friends in timeout. Soccer games in the evening are a regular, hilarious occurance that consists of running around in circles and occasionally kicking with sound effects. If I ever show the slightest objection to your plan to go outside or to the store, you patiently inform me that it is the 'tend outside.

Your imagination has definitely enriched our lives, but it also has given us the biggest parenting challenge yet. "THE BUGS ARE GETTING ME!" You started shouting this phrase at what seemed random times, although most often during our bed time routine. At first we thought your dry skin was itchy so we tried treating your "bugs" with lotion. It worked for awhile. We tried denying their existance. That just made it worse. For awhile we could carefully pick them off of you and feed them to Trudy or throw them out the window, but it was up to you whether we got them all. It was exasperating! Finally, we had a conversation about how birds and monkeys love to eat bugs, and luckily you had two birds -- Owl and Penguin-- and one monkey -- Mona -- that slept with you and they would eat your bugs for you. So specially positioning your night time protectors has mostly kept the bugs at bay for several weeks now. (Fingers crossed!)

"Let's count." You are starting to get the counting pattern, just needing prompting for the next name as each group of ten is completed. You love to type on the computer and ask us what number you wrote or what you spelled. Teeth brushing, hand washing, and eating go much smoother when counting is involved.

You are a girl of routine. You always wear your purple sparkle dress on Tuesdays after dance class. Bedtime consists of two books, three songs, and three questions, though the songs are getting replaced by requests to make up our own stories and the questions sometimes turn into general requests to talk about something you are processing. "Let's talk about the snow part in the monster movie."

You informed us that your dinosaur is a boy.

You love to draw, stamp, do puzzles and read. You tend to do the same thing over and over and over for a little while and then put it away. For example, I've read D.W. the Picky Eater and The Spooky Old Tree so many times I barely look at the words when I am reading it, which came in handy when a page got torn out and you still wanted the entire story. It's harder when you want me to read the "Frunch" part in your Vancouver Olympics book. When I insist I don't know how to read French, you insist that Papa told me how so I must read the "Frunch."

Lately, you've become more affectionate with all of us, telling us you love us or want a hug or a kiss. You love your sister and like most older siblings your actions are a combination of helping, advocating for, and bossing. You call Kaleia "sweaty" and "honey." You are sure to inform us or reprimand her when she is doing something she shouldn't and you can absolutely fall apart when she inadvertently messes up an integral part of your make-believe. Kaleia is invited to play in most of your games and you are learning to share, because you want Kaleia to share with you. Your sister recently moved into your room, and every night you excitedly ask if Kaleia gets to sleep in your room with you.

Thank you for being you, for helping me learn about myself, and for making my life more full. I can't wait to see what is next in store for you.

In many ways, it feels like you've been three for a while. Don't rush to four TOO quickly.

I'm three!

2011-02-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Word of the Week: Plano

2011-02-23T11:26:00.000-08:00

Plano (noun): a musical instrument operated by a keyboard, or anything with a keyboard that you move your fingers over rapidly to produce sound.

"Mama, can you find my plano? I want to dance like a penguin."- Magnolia

"More plano." - Kaleia, pointing at the laptop

Word of the Week: Eh-go

2011-02-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

Eh-go (sentence): something you say as you are handing over an object (dinner plate, empty cheese stick wrapper, random fuzz from the ground, a tempting "no touch" object, etc)

"Eh-go!"- Kaleia

Word of the Week: Sweaty

2011-02-02T20:15:00.000-08:00

Sweaty (noun): a term of endearment

"Oh, Kaleia, Sweaty, what happened? Are you okay?" - Magnolia

"Sweaty, that's a no touch. Good girl." - Magnolia

"Come on, Owl, let's go to Bethlehem." - Magnolia

2011-01-28T21:03:00.000-08:00

Kaleia at 1.5 years!

2011-01-13T21:39:00.000-08:00

Face pressed to the glass of the door at the Dancing for Joy studio, Kaleia is focused. Jamming her finger against the glass she shouts, "Mayno!"

Two things make our very active toddler stop in her tracks: 1) her big sister (Mayno) and 2) Dancing.

Kaleia has an undying love for her sister. While she does assert herself and takes what she wants, if Magnolia provides the slightest protest, Kaleia will stop. She initiates hugs and kisses, and while not a constant shadow, she definitely loves to copy her sister. Waiting for Magnolia to wake up is almost torture. At the slightest noise from Magnolia's room, Kaleia will turn and first whisper "Mayno?," then sprint to her closed door, cackling, and pound her little palms on the door screaming for her sister. The recently roused Magnolia is not always as excited at this wake up party, especially if her little sister's noise woke her prematurely.

As for dancing, watch for a video in the near future. Walking through my high school with the girls one day, we heard the orchestra practicing in the theatre. Kaleia stopped and bolted down the adjoining hall about 10 feet closer and just started groovin’. Any time this girl hears a beat, she can't help but move. And not in the normal toddler feet-planted single-motion "dance", but a full body celebration with arms waving, feet tapping, hips swaying and the occasional twirl, roll or crawl that may foreshadow future breakdancing skills. Her most frequent sign is for music, pointing at the cd player, insisting we turn it on. If her vocabulary was more advanced, she would not be requesting nursery lullabies, but Arcade Fire instead.

If Kaleia doesn't end up being a dancer or musician, she will probably be a dental hygentist, because this girl loves to brush her teeth. Any time in the bathroom, she signs to brush her teeth and can often be distracted, if need be, by suggesting a tooth-brushing session. The only hard part is ending it.

This week at Kaleia's well-check, Dr. Jen commented that "she has a sparkle in her eye." And it is so true. She lives life fully, throwing her whole body into everything, just like her dancing. Kaleia-leia throws, kicks, snuggles, kisses, and sings. She doesn't mind getting dirty; spoons are quickly discarded and plates invariably become hats.

Kaleia loves to laugh, and will often ask for "Mo Tickaticka." This weekend while changing her diaper, I alternated necessary steps with Zerberts to keep her in place. After each slobbery tummy tickle, she asked for more. One time I just tickled her with my fingers, to which she scrunched her brow and told me "No. More Plbthhhh." Her longest sentence yet.

While she doesn't know many words, Kaleia knows how to sing. You can tell she is singing her favorite "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," even though only a few of the syllables may be distinguishable, usually “up above...”. She also loves to make up her own songs, often inspiring her sister to join in.

Kaleia loves delivering bones to the dogs and has started looking at books on her own. She loves her baby and to our astonishment takes really good care of it despite never seeing us with a baby like her sister did. Babies are another surefire attention grabber. If there is one in the vicinity, making noise or not, she will notice.

She pretends more than Magnolia did at this age, feeding you or her baby, or talking on the phone. Kaleia loves hats or putting on costumes. And strangely, she is very tuned in to airplanes, just like her sister was. Go figure. She is still a string bean, weighing 21.5 pounds (15th percentile) and measuring 33 inches tall (85th percentile).

Words: Mama, Papa, Mayno, Baby, Shoosh (soother), Shoe, Bagel (food), Apple (food), Eee (eat), Moe (more), Peese (please), Mal (milk), Up, Nigh, Hi, Bye, Cah (car), Rah-rah (Rana, her stuffed frog), Buh (book), Bah (bath), No, mano (mine), ball, cheese, c(r)acker, ham, eye (always whispered), mou (mouth), Keia

Kaleia Shalom, we are blessed to share our life with you. May you never lose your sparkle!

Thanks to Josh Durias for capturing these shots of Kaleia while we were hanging out in the studio!

Lately...

2011-01-05T11:58:00.000-08:00

This fall, Brian and I decided to start pursuing moving to an international school next year. So completing an online class, researching schools, updating our CVs, creating a web page, writing cover letters, and filling out applications on top of Brian finishing his last year of grad school and the normal things that go with parenting toddlers and working (Are we crazy?!) made it necessary to take a short hiatus from the less urgent, but enjoyable task of keeping Rushcapades up-to-date. Well, the load has eased some so we are going to do a catch up post for those of you that follow the happenings of our family through our blog. Then hopefully, we'll be more or less back to programming as usual.

Kaleia moved to a "Big Girl" car seat. She loves looking out the window, often shouting "bird!", to which Magnolia will passionately object if the said bird is not visible.

We celebrated Thanksgiving and Grandpapa Gracey's birthday with some good food and time to Kinect, Xbox style.

We had our first (and second) snow of the winter, that was supposed to the winter of record-breaking snow levels. So far it has mostly just been day after day of rain. I still have a little hope left.

Magnolia and I ran the Jingle Bell Run together. She actually did run 1 block of the race and earned a jingle bell bracelet from a passing runner that thought she was doing such a great job.

We went to a tree farm to get our tree where they have some animals set up with a Nativity scene. Magnolia and Zebra really liked petting the goat.

Debeardification #2 happened (click here if you want to see #1). This time, Brian went from the most hair I've ever seen him with to the least. This is the end result. We'll post more pictures when we get them.

We celebrated Christmas with the Gracey Family and

with the Rush Family.

And we rang in the new year with some good friends and the best game of Telepictionary I've every been apart of.

Lately, things have been good, full and often frantic, but much to be thankful for.

Tele-Pictionary

2011-01-01T21:18:00.000-08:00

This is my all time favorite party game. Okay, it's actually my favorite game, period.

Directions:

1) Give each person in the group a pencil and a stack of papers equal to the number of people playing.

2) Number each sheet 1 through N.

3) On their first sheet each player writes a sentence or two about anything then passes the stack of paper to the person on their left.

4) The recipient of the stack reads the text, puts that sheet on the bottom of the stack, converts the text into an illustration on the next sheet, then passes the stack to the person on their left.

5) The new recipient looks at the picture, puts that sheet on the bottom of the stack, converts the image into text and passes the stack on.

6) Repeat steps 4-5 until the stack is returned to it's original owner.

7) When all are finished, take turns laying out and reading aloud the text-image-text-image sequence on the floor or a table.

8) Laugh really hard.

+++++

Overnight, he went from hairy hippy to shorn skinhead.

It was a clear and starry night when hobo Brian finally cut his hair.

The travel weary hobo gazed to the stars and moon as a tear gently slid down his cheek. Raising the scissors to his hair, he thought of his Nazirite vow, what it meant, how he had failed. His small pouch of possessions slid limply to the ground behind him.

As she left her lover's grave, she shed a tear as she sheared her long luscious locks in mourning. But really, it was so no one recognized her from the bank robbery.

Bonnie rose from the dead to give herself one last haircut (your hair grows when you're dead, y'know) while Clyde drove the truck away with all the money. The bastard!

Brian's Favorite Read-Aloud Kid Books

2011-01-01T05:09:00.000-08:00

Maggie loves most of these books but this list isn't for the kids. It's for me and you, the parent or other adult who reads to children. A good read-aloud book makes it fun for you, which makes reading special for them. So I guess the list kinda is for them. Without further ado:

The Three Little Pigs. A classic in any version so long as that big bad wolf keeps uttering his menacing refrain: I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom! Will there be enough room? The ABCs get a little ambitious when they all try to climb the same tree. A good one for younger kiddos and those learning the alphabet.

Fox flusters a friend with infuriating tongue floppers. You can't really go wrong with Dr. Seuss but this and Mr. Brown are definitely top notch.

Oh the wonderful things Mister Brown can do! Read it like an over-enthusiastic J. Peterman (Elaine's boss on Seinfeld).

A simple one that begs you to drum on the pages and sing-song your way through it.

But who is this creature with terrible claws and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws? He has knobbly knees and turned-out-toes and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose. Probably the most advanced on this list, Donaldson's modern classic has wonderful rhythm and repetition, a clever ending and an aurally inviting cast.

Wee Wa Wee Wa Rooty Toot Too! Every page has it's own color that, along with the listed objects, gives the mood for the reader. Filter it through your inner Miles Davis and you've got a winner.

Boynton is another safe bet for quality read-alouds but the Pookie books, which really hinge on the caring character of Pookie's mama (who, in my imagination, is delightfully ebullient, Southern, and full-figured), are especially enjoyable.

Even without a passable Grover impression, this postmodern wonder, which is about the very act of reading this very book, is a riot. I dare you not to have fun bringing Grover's over-the-top fear to life.

Hope you enjoyed the list and maybe even found yourself a new read-aloud. Let me know your favorites in the comments!

Merry Christmas from the Rushes

2010-12-25T21:49:00.000-08:00

We hope you had a wonderful day celebrating Christ's birth!

Some outakes:

Word of the Week: Ah-poe

2010-11-24T15:58:00.000-08:00

Ah-poe: (noun) any substance, composed of carbohydrates, water, fats, proteins and water, that can be eaten or drunk by animals, including humans, for nutrition or pleasure.

"Ah-poe!!!"

Word of the Week: Toothtaste

2010-11-24T06:23:00.000-08:00

Toothtaste: (noun) a paste or gel dentifrice used with a toothbrush as an accessory to clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth
"I need more toothtaste on my toothbrush."

{this moment}

2010-11-19T09:52:00.000-08:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you are inspired to do the same, leave a link to your moment in the comments for all to find and see.

{this moment}

2010-11-05T05:36:00.000-07:00

This Conversation Has Legs

2010-11-04T01:43:00.000-07:00

Sitting in the Haggen cafeteria across the booth from Magnolia she occasionally gets excited and kicks. My knees happen to be occupying the space she is intending to kick so I say "ow" and explain to her that she is causing me pain. This happens several times.

Nearing the end of our meal I turn to clean Kaleia, who is in her car seat on the table. Magnolia is done eating and has turned sideways, facing out of the booth, and starts muttering to herself. As I give Kaleia the ol' you-can't-get-away-from-me-if-I-really-smoosh-your-face wipe off I hear Mags scolding, "uh uh," then I feel a kick, followed by an emphatic "uh uh!"

I turn to give her the stink eye but she is already facing away from me again.

"Maggie, what are you doing?"

"I'm talking to my legs."

Why is the Driveway Red?

2010-11-04T01:26:00.000-07:00

Magnolia, as we are about to pull out the drive: "Papa, what's that?"

I look back at her in her car seat to see where she is looking: up through the sun roof.

"The sun? Magnolia, please don't look right at the--"

"Why is the sky red?"

nervous, concerned laughter

"Papa, why is the driveway all red??"

Word of the Week: Classroom

2010-11-03T05:26:00.000-07:00

Classroom: (noun) 1) a room or place, especially in a school, in which classes are conducted. 2) An outfit worn to create the appearance of a particular period, person, place or thing

"Mama, can we go to your classroom at your gool?"

"Last night, I wore my dog classroom."

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T23:02:00.000-07:00

This year's costumes were in honor of a favorite book at our house these days: "Frog and Dog have a Party."
The awesome pictures in this blog are courtesy of Evantide Photography. You should check them out!

Maggie's First Pumpkin

We managed one block of Trick-or-Treating with our friend Lucy the Dragon

The knocking part was easy. Saying "trick or treat" when the stranger opened the door was not. A few of the less scary strangers did get a thank you.

This little frog loved everything about trick-or-treating--except when the door closed. She threw herself at it at almost every house and then would take off running for the next house.

The sweet rewards!

{this moment}

2010-10-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

10 on 10/10/10

2010-10-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to participate in the 10 on 10 photo project:

Take a photo every hour for ten consecutive hours on the tenth of each month. Document a day of your life and find beauty among the ordinary moments. Then share your beauty with us!

10/10/10 seemed like a must. They are not the best pictures in the world, but they capture our day, even if the posting is almost two weeks late.

8:00 am - Breakfast

9:00 am - Waking Up Papa

10:00 am - Sisters Playing

11:00 am - Greek Orthodox Church

12:00 pm - Lunch!

1:00 pm - Everyone was Napping...so no pictures

2:00 pm - Grading Pre-Calculus Midterms...Blahk!

3:00 pm - Maggie Waking from Her Nap...Why does she bounce like that?

4:00 pm - Entertaining Maggie While Driving

5:00 pm - Finding a Cricket with Papa

6:00 pm - Blowing Dandilions

8:00 pm - Getting Creamed by Brian for the 9th time...Next Week We are Switching to Cribbage

9:00 pm - At least we are together, right?

10:10 on 10/10/10

Magnolia's First Haircut

2010-10-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

For those viewing through facebook, click through to our blog to see the video clip. I sped it up so you could see the entire wiggly process. If you make it to the end, you will see Maggie talking about her new hair.

A Letter to Magnolia at 2 1/2

2010-10-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

Oh how you've changed the last six months! I thought after you hit two years old, your rapid development would slow. If at 2 you were no longer a baby, at 2 1/2 you are a full-fledged little girl. Sometimes you tell me that you are still a baby or will be a baby again soon, but for the most part you declare yourself bigger. I agree, you are bigger and have shed your baby ways, most notably in your speech. These are some of the phrases you are trying out:

"Don't worry about it."
"Sure."
"Oh my gosh."
"Nothing." (You use this one when asked "What are you doing?" and you are afraid the true response will be unacceptable)

"Goomeez, dogs." You have so many fun word approximations. This one (which was your way of saying excuse me) was one of the first we noticed and still is a favorite. Though, it seems like we barely have time to capture these mispronunctions before they are gone. Already Keia has become Kaleia.

"Mama, where Aaare you?" You may look like your Papa, but you are turning into a little mini-me. You watch me closely and I am your preferred parent for most tasks. As your personality emerges, I've watched you start to struggle with things I struggled with as a child. I'm hoping that will help me anticipate your needs. You are definitely more shy lately. But sometimes you declare, "I'm not going to be shy." And you aren't. I love that.

"That's Papa's spot." You are very concerned with doing things correctly and are quick to inform people of their mistakes. This is especially true with Kaleia. Sometimes it is helpful -- like when you inform us that she getting into the dog water or making her way to the stairs when the gate was left open. Sometimes it's annoying, like when you reprimand us for giving Kaleia pain when she's crying on the change table.

"Does the big fork go here, Mama?" This need for reassurance on the correctness of your actions has been combined with your helpfulness. You are still pretty independent and want to do things on your own, but these days you give up more quickly and cry for help in order to do things right.

"Mama, you have blue eyes. Papa has green and brown eyes, called hazel." Along the same lines, you like to rehearse what you know and what is happening. It often feels like we have a play-by-play announcer in our house. You are especially obessed with eye color and whether or not people are girls and therefore have 'ginas or boys and have a penis.

"Mama, that's a red hand, not orange." Another thing you have become obsessed with is traffic lights. While walking together, I taught you about crosswalks and how we know it is safe to cross. You watch for the red hand or the white person all of the time. Papa tried to correct my misteaching by telling you that the hand was actually orange. This totally rocked your world. For days, you repeated that the hand was red. If we disagreed you grew upset, so we dropped it and let you think it was red.

"Papa, Stop! The light is red! That means stop!" Naturally, you developed an interest in traffic lights for cars too. Each time we drive through an intersection you announce your knowledge. One day, Papa turned right at a red light. You freaked out! So we had to explain free right turns. I never expected to have a backseat driver so soon!

"Different eat." In addition to your bossiness, you are pretty opinionated, especially about your clothes, but have also begun to battle over your food. When the options presented do not suit your liking, you request to have different food and, like many things in your young life, you prefer consistency. You have yogurt or a bagel almost everyday for breakfast.

"What is happening after my snooze?" You also want to know what is happening at all times. You want to know what day it is and love to cross days off on the calendar. On the positive side, routine and keeping you informed of what is happening battles your increasing "whys" and "whines."

"Have to go Paawtttty!" Our bed time routine is pretty consistent, including your calling to go to the bathroom after all other steps are complete. The annoying part is that the request is usually legitimate. Somehow the poop that wouldn't come five minutes ago, will magically come as soon as songs are sung and bedtime kisses are given. What's a parent to do? Make you sleep all night in your own feces?

"When I am 3, I can wear panties to bed." "You have to be 7 to crack eggs." You are pretty much potty-trained and could probably wear panties to bed now. But one day when you asked me when you could wear them I told you three. I've learned that I have to be careful when I tell you what the rule is, because you hang on to and enforce them.

"You are happy, Papa? Why are your eyebrows sad?" You are still very in tune with people's emotions. You've grown more affectionate. Out of the blue, you will rub my back or stroke my face and tell me that you love me. You still need and give kisses as a cure-all for pain. Mona and Baby are still very special and are well cared for. You pour out your love on them, mimicking everything you see us do, including giving them time-outs, announcing that Baby needs to calm down.

"Mona needs to go potty." Your imagination is elaborate and active! In spite of your need to have things predictable and just so, you are able to pretend just about anything. You love imagining yourself as a banana when you are wrapped in your yellow towel and demand that we eat you. In addition to raspberries (or zerberts) you request blackberries and blueberries on your tummy.

"Would you like some pancakes?" You still love to cook -- both pretend in your kitchen and for real in Mama's kitchen. You know about letting dough rest and can handle a whisk pretty well. Holding your knife in one hand and your fork in the other, you cross them back and forth, to cut our pretend food into little pieces. You "read" my recipes and count the ingredients.

"Can you read with me?" Books go with you everywhere, even to bed in the dark. You have memorized lots of lines and say them on the correct page. Sometimes you read front to back, other times back to front. You still love books where you identify things, but books with a plot line are piquing your interest. Your current favorites are The Three Little Pigs, Walter the Wolf, and Curious George.

"I need to take a bath. I'm pretty stinky." So much of what you do and say makes me laugh every day. You brighten my day and challenge me to grow. I cherish you.

Lova you...to the moon and back.

You at 2

2010-10-08T22:47:00.000-07:00

**Disclaimer: This post is over 6 months overdue. I started writing it just before Magnolia's 2nd birthday. I'd work on it, then life would get busy. I finally finished editing it and wanted to share it before my letter to her at 2-1/2. I know it is long. Mostly, it is for Magnolia, but I thought some of you might enjoy learning more about my daughter through my eyes.***

A letter to Magnolia:

These are things that I've noticed, that I love, that I never want to forget about how you are at 2.

You are growing, changing, learning so fast it is hard to keep up. We find you copying almost everything we do. We see elements of ourselves in you as well as your own emerging personality. You get excited, just like me, over little things like a cozy bed or blueberries hiding in your yogurt. You've inherited my ticklishness, but unlike me, you invite it. Papa loves this! Just like your Papa, books go with you everywhere -- to the potty, to bed, in the car. You "read" on your own and to Kaleia. Kid books, contemporary art magazines, it doesn't matter.

Everyday new words come out of your mouth surprising Papa and me. We already miss your baby words like "nu-nu" (bunny). You say things like "Sounds good" and "A-K" (okay) and at 2, call yourself "you," which is no wonder since that is how we address you. Some of your attempts at correct pronunciation are hilarious. "Ho-ho-potty" (Hippopotamus) is one of my favorites. Or like how you can't just call something little or small. It has to be "little tiny baby ho-ho-potty" in a high sqeaky voice. You also still accompany speech with signs when you are really excited. And at times your increasing vocabulary makes you pretty hard to understand.

These breakdowns in communication are beginning to turn into meltdowns because at 2, you are very emotional. When faced with a choice you are often crippled with regret after your first choice and passionately flip-flop between wanting the two choices. (Sorry for the times we could not hold in our laughter. It's just really funny.)

The easy choices for you are whether you want to do something on your own or if you want help. You are independent. For the most part you dress and feed yourself. You love to brush your teeth and floss. Sometimes you even do your own airplanes when you need encouraging to finish food on your plate.

Although you prefer to do things for yourself, you love to be a helper. If you hear the dishwasher open or the dryer door close, you come running to help put dishes away and fold clothes. I can't cook a meal without you running in asking for a chair so you can cook too.

To balance your newfound independence, you've also grown more affectionate. You ask to be held more these days and love to cuddle. You like to give back rubs--and we love receiving them. Much of your days are spent caring for Mona or Baby or the animal of the day, rocking, feeding (both breastfeeding and in the high chair), and putting her to bed.

Your caring nature goes beyond the pretend world. You are in tune to whether people are happy or sad or tired, often equating the last two. You've moved beyond Mama kisses as the cure-all. Your kisses apparently have healing power now too and you generously administer them whenever you hear someone exclaim in pain. You have soothed us all, including yourself and have even taught Mona the art of healing with kisses.

You are especially in tune to your sister's needs, often hearing Kaleia's waking cries before the rest of us. Your peek-a-boo makes your sister laugh the hardest. Recognizing when Kaleia needs a toy, you happily provide one for her, sometimes even sharing your Mona.

But the sharing must be on your own terms. You say "No, no, no Keia" when she gets into something you believe she shouldn't have. But you are your bossiest with the dogs, often banishing them from a room or instructing them to sit. Even so Otis can get you to laugh harder than anyone but Papa. You and he will often chase his tail together. Your animosity may come from the fact that Otis likes to eat your books and wooden puzzles. Usually, you just state that it is sad, and play with the mangled puzzle pieces anyway.

That you are able to forgive this offense so easily is impressive because you LOVE puzzles. Both jigsaw and magnetic-bear-dressing entertain you for hours. You build towers and lines with blocks, organizing by shapes and color. You are always on the look out for matches. You love to count and say your abc's. You can be distracted while driving in the car by finding letters.

You love to sing. Sometimes you practice songs you know or make up your own. You've got twinkle, twinkle little star down and can almost do the ABCs, but you are pretty shy about singing when you know someone is listening. At bedtime, we sing ABCs, Twinkle Twinkle, and Rock-a-bye Baby, with the occasional bonus track: Itsy-Bitsy Spider.

There is so much I treasure and love about you at 2. I know you will outgrow many of these things and others will form the building blocks of your character, but either way they make up a layer of your story that I will always love.

Mascara? MaScary!

2010-10-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

Does any toddler NOT do this?

Word of the Week: Question

2010-10-06T05:20:00.000-07:00

Question: (noun) 1) a single sentence addressed to someone in the interrogative form in order to get information 2) a communication or declaration setting forth facts or particulars.
"Mama, I have a question for you. What are we having for dinder?"

"Mama, I have a question for you. This is Lion. He is a Papa and he went to the store with me and he went in the car with me two times."

Bad Choices at Bed Time or Cute Bed Buddies

2010-10-06T00:36:00.000-07:00

Giggles...crying...more giggling...harder giggles...

I guess I should go in and remind them to go to sleep. It is getting late.

Hmm...it looks like the light is on.

I open the door to see this...

What's a Mama to do?

{this moment}

2010-10-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

Word of the Week: Djudjio

2010-09-29T05:33:00.000-07:00

Djudjio: (noun) the workroom of an artist

Whenever Brian is gone -- "Is Papa at his djudjio?"
An often repeated story -- "Essherday, we didn't have a car because we didn't have keys so we didn't drive because Papa was at his djudjio and we took the bus so we camed to the Farmer's Market and we had lunch with Papa at his djudjio and Kaleia was in the little stroller and I walked."

How to we spend our Saturdays in the fall?

2010-09-25T21:42:00.000-07:00

Rain or shine, playing with the dogs at the lake. The only difference is who is wearing the blue rainsuit.

Magnolia ~ 2009

Kaleia ~ 2010

Words of the Week: Essehrday and Amorrow

2010-09-22T05:36:00.000-07:00

Essehrday: (adverb) 1. the day proceding this one 2. a short time ago 3. any time previous to the present

All quotes from today:

"Essehrday we flew to Califoner on an airplane." (This happened two
months ago.)

"I had yogurt and Papa's cereal essehrday." (This happened this
morning.)

"Essehrday we went to a park with a playground and the ocean." (This
happened just a little while ago.)

Amorrow: (adverb) 1. the day following this one 2. a future period of time

"Where are we going amorrow?"

{this moment}

2010-09-17T05:50:00.000-07:00

Word of the Week: Poxporn

2010-09-15T20:58:00.000-07:00

Poxporn: (noun) corn kernels that have been subjected to dry heat and as a result have burst open and puffed out.

"Papa, I'm having poxporn and watching Nemo with Mama."

Kaleia's "One Year" Shoot

2010-09-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

We continued the tradition of waiting to do a "one year photo shoot" until 13 months. This time we hired our friend and neighbor Julie Harrell to capture our little Leia and some of the whole family. We had a lot of fun taking pictures around Bellingham and think she got some great pictures! You can check out more of her work, including more from our photo shoot, on her blog.

Word of the Week: Gool

2010-09-08T05:33:00.000-07:00

Gool: (noun) an institution where instruction is given

When Brian wakes Magnolia, usually, her first question is "Mama go to gool?"

Bedtime Seranades...

2010-09-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

Or stall tactics. Either way we enjoyed it.

Her song composing went on for over 15 minutes. I tried to cut it down to just give you the highlights, but it is still 3 minutes long.

P.S. This happened at the end of June.

Word of the Week: Flew

2010-09-01T05:42:00.000-07:00

Flew: v. (flewed, flewing, flews) to travel quickly through the air or water

After letting go of her helium-filled balloon -- "Mama! My bloon flewed away!"
In the bath, with her foam letters -- "The letters are flewing around in the water."
On our way to California -- "We're flewing on a airplane."

Growing Up, or The Babysat Babysits the Babysitter's Babies (and Gets Married!)

2010-08-31T05:37:00.000-07:00

Every few pages, I pause and hope for silence. The little voices in this dark tent have been seriously debating critical choices for over an hour now. Should we go down that abandoned mine shaft? Or not? Now, after a long, fun day with my little buddies I'm ready to leave the world of children and return to the adults. As a teen whose parents' friends all have younger kids, I find myself straddling these two worlds often.

Now, after waiting a few moments to make sure their sleep is sound, I tiptoe over sleeping bags and do my best to silence the obnoxiously loud tent zipper. The river rushes nearby and I successfully escape to the nearby cabin where the Clark parents, whom we’re vacationing with, and my parents, are playing cards.

My teen years, like most people’s, weren’t always the best of times, but I get nostalgic for those summer nights in the tent and cabin. The Clark kids—Sarah, Peter, Becky and Daniel—who made many memories with us at my Grandpa’s river cabin are all grown up now.

The youngest, Sarah, the one I call Little Fred, just graduated from high school. Are those little hands that could barely help make the solar system mural on the back fence during my self-run summer camp, really off to Gonzaga this fall?

Peter, or Pedro -- a nickname I gave him because he always wanted to help with my Spanish homework -- is now a junior at SPU, my alma mater, and a Peer Advisor, just like I was.

Becky, who loved the Pocahontas sound track and candy salad just graduated from Pepperdine and married a Brian of her own!

And I can still see the eldest, Daniel, trying out his favorite Power Ranger moves, a show he made me watch more times than I'd like to admit. Now he lives on his own with his new puppy and works as a bartender and server. I guess it shouldn't surprise me so much...He is 24.

But this summer I have been surprised by how much they all have grown up as I've attended a graduation party, a shower and a wedding. On a couple of occasions these kids also babysat my kids. It all brought so many memories flooding back.

Clark kids, you all have a very special place in my heart. I sure wish we could find that time capsule we buried at Grandpa's cabin. I bet it would bring back even more memories....

In Which My Family Creates Their Own Dance Party in the Playroom

2010-08-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

In Which My Family Creates Their Own Dance Party at Becky's Wedding

2010-08-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

{this moment}

2010-08-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday (or maybe Saturday if I didn't have time to get to it) ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you are inspired to do the same, leave a link to your moment in the comments for all to find and see.

Our Little Walker

2010-08-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

Word of the Week: Why?

2010-08-27T19:37:00.000-07:00

Why: (adverb) 1. for what reason, cause or purpose? 2. a one word question asked incessantly by a toddler with seemingly no cause and decreasing sense of true curiosity, often habitual and whined.

Mama!

Maggie, I am writing a blog post.

Why?

Because I like to blog. I need to finish this one up. Then we can play.

Why?

Well, because it is now Friday and I haven't had time to post the Word of the Week.

Why?

Because I've had to go back to school a lot this week and I've had less time.

Why?

Because it is almost time for school to start.

Why?

That is just what happens in September.

Why?

I don't know. Legislation.

Why?

*pulls own hair*

Why?

*develops eye twitch*

Why?

*small traces of smoke come out ears*

"A Blue Spider Called Jellyfish"

2010-08-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

This summer Magnolia reached the artistic/developmental milestone of trying to represent objects with her drawings, not just making lines and circles. She'll draw, for example, a person with a circle (head) and four long lines, two out of the bottom (legs) and one on either side (arms) and then tell you their name and sometimes have you title/label it. We're not planning on making her into the next Marla Olmstead, but it is pretty fun to see this next stage develop. Below are some of our favorite chalk drawings from this summer.

Fish for Penguins!

2010-08-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, at the seafood counter, Magnolia told me, "They have fish for penguins!"

"Yes, Maggie, penguins eat fish. We're going to have some fish for dinner tonight too."

As we strolled a little farther along I was brought out of my deep thoughts about what to make for dinner by her exclamation, "They have more fish for penguins! One, two, three! Three fish for penguins!"

The penguins at the zoo eat whole, unfileted fish, so these must be for them.

"Mags, do you think penguins come to the store very often?"

With the utmost confidence: "Yeah."

So, next time you are in your local grocery, don't be alarmed when you see a penguin in the seafood aisle.

{this moment}

2010-08-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo (or maybe two) - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you are inspired to do the same, leave a link to your moment in the comments for all to find and see.

Words of the Week: Yebraz and Yooz

2010-08-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

Yebraz: (noun) horselike African mammals having a characteristic pattern of black or dark-brown stripes on a whitish background.

Yooz: (noun) a parklike area in which live animals are kept in cages or large enclosures for public exhibition.

Mama, I want to see the yebraz at the yooz.

Camping!

2010-08-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

--- RUSHCAPADES! ---

Words of the Week: Candy-Candy, Person, Ubberbuddy, Ointmeal

Christmas Crafts

Merry Christmas from the Rushes

Preschool Christmas Party

Chinese Kitchen: Tastes of China

Street Food: Kettlecorn

Our First Beijing Snow

Words of the Lately: Frigate, Gark, Psy-ged, Dopdopdopdop, Freppery

A Date!

Street Food: Jianbing (Chinese Savory Crepes)

Chinese Kitchen: Yunnan

The Little Things: Wedding Photography

Maggie's Makeover by Mama

Maggie Cam: Bike Ride in the Chariot

*Red* Cup

The Little Things: Augmented Horticulture, Part 2

Trick or Treat 2011

Chinese Kitchen: The Essentials

Liang Ge Superstars

Maggie Cam: Summer Palace

Words of the Week: Shrockwet, Racamoni, Medium

The Hutong

The Legend of Zelda: Beijing Adventure

The Little Things: "Why are you hitting yourself?"

The Three Little Pigs

Sponge Bob Split Pants!, or, Potty Training in China

Words of the Week: Um more, Tiss-a-nugg and Luhyoo

Word of the Week: Coccyx

Maggie Cam: Haircut

The Little Things: Augmented Horticulture

Naming Animals, Literally

The Little Things: Squiggly Straws and Pop Can Pull Tabs

Words of the Week: Guhwrinka and Doo-bicy

Maggie Cam: Lama Temple

My New Favorite Tradition:

Word of the Week: Penne-tayo

Nĭ Hăo!

Word of the Week: Pancake

First Days of "School"

Head Bibs

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Exercising with Auntie Alli

Sharing Popcorn

Bedtime conversations with Kaleia

Brian's Favorite Albums of 2009

We're going on a hunt

To Magnolia, at three years

I'm three!

Word of the Week: Plano

Word of the Week: Eh-go

Word of the Week: Sweaty

"Come on, Owl, let's go to Bethlehem." - Magnolia

Kaleia at 1.5 years!

Lately...

Tele-Pictionary

Brian's Favorite Read-Aloud Kid Books

Merry Christmas from the Rushes

Word of the Week: Ah-poe

Word of the Week: Toothtaste

{this moment}

{this moment}

This Conversation Has Legs

Why is the Driveway Red?

Word of the Week: Classroom

Halloween 2010

{this moment}

10 on 10/10/10

Magnolia's First Haircut

A Letter to Magnolia at 2 1/2

You at 2

Mascara? MaScary!

Word of the Week: Question

Bad Choices at Bed Time or Cute Bed Buddies

{this moment}

Word of the Week: Djudjio

How to we spend our Saturdays in the fall?

Words of the Week: Essehrday and Amorrow

{this moment}

Word of the Week: Poxporn

Red Cup