Somewhat-Fearful Fish

If there is one area in which the girls are most definitely individuals, it is in their attitude about water. Aeryn likes to go swimming but with significantly less gumption than Ellie. Her first round of swimming lessons are done and went extremely well. She's gaining confidence every lesson and getting much stronger. She didn't give me quite the camera-ham show the way that Ellie did. That might be partly because of my attempt to follow her class around the pool hiding behind pillars in an attempt to be stealthy. It didn't work, btw.

In this class they introduced diving. She's been a real trooper about it, since it's something even her mom refuses to do because of a traumatic swim lesson experience somewhere around 1988.

For all the grandparents who didn't think this was a possibility, yes, she went down the water slide! I'd say she almost liked it, if it weren't for her insistence afterward that she never wanted to do it again.

Here's hoping the growing tolerance for water continues, she's got another session starting in two weeks. Looking at pictures of her swimming makes me want to hold her in my arms and apologize for giving her my ultra-fair complexion, but then I remember the kind lady in the locker room who told me how gorgeous my skin is and I take a tiny little moment to smile.

Ellie

Our summer together has come to a close. Yesterday the little ladybug returned to her mom and we are feeling quite a void already. As much as I like the house being cleaner with fewer little people around, I'd rather have all the little people around. Life is just too quiet and... predictable... this way.

As we were getting packed up she and I went outside for a quick little photo op. She made a gift for her mom's upcoming birthday and we needed a picture to go with it. She was so cute for the camera.

Sometimes when Ellie smiles for the camera, her teeth are showing but her face is not really smiling. Once she laid down on the grass the fake smiles started to appear so I tickled her with my foot to get her true happiness to come out. I will miss her ticklishness and laughter most of all.

It's been a great summer, and we've packed in so many good things. I can't wait to be all together again.

Astoria by Instagram

What an amazing 36 hours. This was perhaps one of the best family mini-vacations ever. I decided to use Instagram instead of carrying the big camera for much of the time and still ended up taking about 200 photos on the big camera after the 35 or so on my phone. It was THAT much fun.

Riding bumper boats in Florence

Picnic lunch by the coast

Gallivanting around a playground in Lincoln City

Dinner and ice cream at the Tilamook dairy

Trying to hold our breath across the Astoria-Megler bridge

Jumping on hotel room beds

Flying gliders off the Astoria column

Truffle shuffle at the Goonies house

Getting soaked at the Peter Iredale shipwreck

Junior Ranger activities at the Lewis & Clark National Historic Park

Splashing and exploring the tide pools at Haystack rock

Driving home

The end

Weekend Update

This weekend has been quite a strange one. Aeryn was supposed to fly home on Friday. After picking her up at the airport, we were going to head straight on a camping trip to Crater Lake where Jim was going to run a half marathon on Saturday morning. She had loved Crater Lake when we went last year and was really wanting to go back. Friday was going to be a long travel day for her (7 hours on a plane + 2 hours home in the car + 2.5 hours to Crater Lake) but as it turns out she didn't travel at all. Her dad thought her flight was the following day and so she never made it onto the plane. Needless to say, I was an emotional wreck the entire day. I miss her and am ready for her to be home. Her flight has been rescheduled so if all goes well she'll be home Monday (fingers crossed).

As a result it took some effort for me to be really excited about our little trip. Jim had a meeting at work so we weren't able to leave until about 6:30 which meant we were setting camp up at 9:30. Then we got up at 6:30 to take him to the run shuttle. Jim hoped to run it under two hours so we planned to kill time until about 10 thinking that would give time for the run and shuttle. We spent the morning going back and forth between little walks/drives around the area, the campsite, and the shuttle stop wanting to be easily found when Jim was done. There was spotty cell service in the park so we had no way to get in touch with each other.

Ellie and I got ice cream at the lodge and sat waiting for the runners to be bussed back, but it was getting awfully close to the time we had to be out of camp. We went back to tear camp down and get the car loaded.

After a morning of waiting, and passing time, and more waiting, we finally found Jim having beat his hoped for time. He came in 16th overall and 4th in his division. The run was evidently full of elevation change and quite hard. He's pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

Of course we stopped at the sign, though this time it was on our way out of the park. By the time we left wind had blown in a bunch of smoke from a not too distant fire and the entire area was filled with haze. 

As Ellie and I drove around trying to kill time, she took this picture of the lake. I thought it turned out pretty good. You can see the beginning of the haze rolling in at the top right corner. By afternoon the lake was hardly visible. 

In the afternoon we hiked to Plaikni Falls. We did this hike last year and loved it. The reward is far better than the effort put in and it's a great one for the littles. There were dozens of little blue and purple moths flying around the wildflowers which Ellie found to be quite fascinating, though she was disappointed once I called them "moths" instead of "butterflies."

Ellie was also able to participate in the Junior Ranger program at Crater Lake. This makes 5 JR programs she's done thus far. We are all big fans of this program and think everyone with kids should try it out. She proudly wore her badge for the rest of the day.

After driving home later than we planned, and a quick dinner out (hallelujah), we are home and ready to crash. It's been a tiring 36 hours for all of us.

Fearless Fish

Someone in our house is completely fearless. Nowhere is this more evident than in the swimming pool. A few weeks ago, we went to a swim party at a friend's house and this little one just ran and jumped straight into the middle of the water in a section way too deep for her. I wasn't in the water yet and the nearest adult in the water grabbed her arm and asked if she could swim. Her honest answer "sometimes" was both hilarious and terribly frightening. If anyone was ever a fan of the water, Ellie is.

Swim lessons ended today. We've had her in two separate sessions of the same class so she was going 4 days a week (instead of 2) for the past 4 weeks. We're still working on waiting at the edge until the teacher tells her to jump on in, but she shows some serious swimming promise, and she loves it dearly.

I'm sure you're completely surprised to see that she started posing once she saw me with the camera.

This last day she had a substitute instructor, who happened to be Aeryn's teacher from last summer. She had the kids sit on top of a foam mat and she swirled them around in a circle while they held on for dear life. Ellie giggled out of control just waiting for her turn to come.

This pool has a small water slide that the kids all had a chance to go on. Of course the instructor was prepared to ride with them or catch them at the bottom, but our little fish wanted to do it completely on her own.

Swim lessons are over for the time being. Considering she comes from a family of water polo players on her mom's side, and already has this crazy love for the water, I have a sneaking suspicion that swimming will be a part of her life for a very, very long time.

Summer Smiles

Summer has been really fun. It's been so delightful to have Ellie with us but it's been strange for Aeryn to be gone much of that time (for me anyway). This week she comes home and I confess that while I'm ridiculously excited for her to be back, I'm also going to miss some of the time Ellie and I have had together as just the two of us. The arrangement has been good for all of us, but I'm happy it's ending and that for a while we'll be all together again.

Oregon has been absolutely lovely lately. I think the gray, rainy reputation is simply a way for Oregonians to discourage others from finding out about the amazing summers. The days are cool and cloudy in the morning, then warm up quite a bit in the afternoons. Ellie and I actually went to buy a fan the other day in order to keep our apartment a little more bearable once the afternoon heat sets in. Granted, the warmer days mean tomatoes are starting to reach their peak and that is always a welcome thing. 

Ellie hasn't wanted to play outside very much lately, unless our neighbor friends are around. Fortunately, some friends are around and she's had the opportunity to be goofy with them most days. She's trying to find a balance in her mind between liking the idea of growing older and wanting to stay little. With Aeryn gone she's liked being the biggest kid in the area, but she's also been talking about wanting to be the youngest forever so she can get the most attention.

What a cutie. Lately her hair is in front of her face almost every time I take a picture. We do brush it, I promise! At least I'll be able to look back and say we let her be a normal kid instead of always having to look like a Pottery Barn Kids model. This way brings the most natural smiles :)

The World's Best Chocolate Cupcakes

Finally! A couple months ago a friend called and asked me for a good chocolate cupcake recipe. I was devastated to have to tell her I didn’t have one that was half as good as what you’d get from the Better Crocker Triple Chocolate Fudge cake mix. It struck me as being very sad.

Since then I’ve been searching for a recipe I could feel confident recommending. I’ve tried several that claim to be the “best ever” and have not been impressed. Several cupcake recipes on Pinterest have been especially disappointing so I returned to the old-school method of using actual cookbooks. Today, after trying one from Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Baking 2005, my disappointed-in-homemade-chocolate-cupcakes state has changed.

These are yummy.

If you won't believe me, believe Ellie.

Yes, we used leftover Christmas picks and yes, there was chocolate all over when we were done. Make sure not to over bake them and pick up a pint or two of strawberries from your local farmer's market to eat with the leftover frosting. Don't blame me if the awesomeness makes your eyes roll back so far that you can't see straight ever again.

Divine Devil’s Food Cupcakes 

Recipe from Better Home and Gardens 

2 cups sifted cake flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup buttermilk
1/3 cup water
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cup sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
12 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
¾ cup heavy (whipping) cream
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temp
Chocolate-flavored sprinkles (optional)

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 350. Line 30 2.5 inch muffin cups with paper baking cups.

 2. For cupcakes: In a large bowl sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl stir together buttermilk and water.

3. In an extra-large bowl, beat the ¾ cup butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

4. Reduce the speed to low and alternately add the cocoa mixture and buttermilk mixture in three batches, beating just until well blended.

5. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each half full. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove from pans.

6. For frosting: Set a heatproof deep bowl over a saucepan of about 1.5 inches of nearly simmering water. Add the chocolate and cream whisking until melted and smooth. Add the 5 tbsp. of butter; whisk until melted and smooth. Let cool to room temperature and then chill covered for 15 minutes.

7. Beat the frosting with an electric mixer on medium-high speed 6-8 minutes or until thick enough to spread.

8. Evenly spread the cupcakes with frosting, Decorate as desired. Supposedly makes 30 cupcakes, but I overfilled them and ended up with 22.