PDX+Local Chocolate=Moon "Stroke"

Maxx calls it Moon "Stroke".  
I have never corrected him 'cuz I think it fits... way better.
We sell these little overloads at work on a teeny tiny... teeny tiny scale...so I took Maxx to investigate and experience this proud local chocolate in its fullness.  

Holy chocolate cows!!!

How do you choose?

Strawberry!!!! Maxx's favorite dessert is chocolate covered strawberries...so a strawberry chocolate clown fish truffle...EASY!

...and a chocolate float to share.

Now, chocolate threw a straw with bubbles is just insane!!!!

...nada left.  :)  

May's Grand Finale

What a full 3 day weekend.
I can not remember the last time I took a 3 day weekend and just let what "may"...(especailly on a holiday...) 
Maxx and I had a few things we had planned and the rest was just part of our weekly rhythm. Full and abundant.

Here are some photos...

School Work Day

Our weekly trip to the Farmer's Market

We watched the last bits of Joey's Game...Maxx's "BIG" friend and then supper with them.

On the most beautiful day yet...Headed out to the farm to pick strawberries with Gus.

As soon as we were home...muddy shoes were kicked off and time to wash and savor!

May's Grand Finale.

Welcome June!

PDX Cronstruction Site on Burnside

Okay all my fellow NE PDX-ers...you know the lying of the new Trimet track construction on MLK and the couplet project on Burnside...

There is action and excitment for our almost 6 year old... these big yellow monsters in motion, moving  and changing the way the streets and this part of the city looks.

Here is Maxx's version....I love it so.

Loads of action!!!  Light rail tracks being laid, cranes, bulldozers, flashing lights...earth under that asphalt, and bright blue skys!!!  Just beautiful!!!

Dreamy Spring Day

We had an action packed fun in the sun day...it could have not turned out more perfect if I had planned it.

Maxx picked Alberta Park to be "where it's at" today.  We sent a spontaneous invite to "Vitamin L & G" to join us for a picnic.  It was so nice.  We watched some hula hooping, not so tight, tight rope walkers, and other fun things through out the park as we soaked in the vitamin D and ate our lunch.

We threw the ball for "Vitamin S" for a bit, then it was time for them to head home.

We were off to play in the park and you know Maxx never meets a stranger... to meet another 5 year old (he's not 5 and a half yet, Mom)...who had watched Maxx hop across these pods like a frog on lily pads...and fast. Our new friend was a little afraid to try...so Maxx just started helping and holding and then, praising his new friend on a job well done.  "See there you did it! Great job!" *gush*


I was so proud...at how much Maxx's heart is open and how he jumped in with out any guidance to help his fellow in play.

Our new friend had cars!!!  I can only imagine what they are saying in this picture...then



Who is to have which car and which one will win... to the SLIDE!!!

Orange, Blue, then green came in last place.
After alot of races on all the slides and taking turns so well with the fastest car... our friend had to go.  It was one of those awesome play moments and I wish I had gotten the mother's number or email...I need to get calling cards.  I would love to meet them again to play. Who knows maybe we will.

Then a bit of patience was practiced...we did "the dance" right as we were next...just in time!

Within a minute Maxx had made friends with two others and..

We were chasing BUBBLES!!!

Playing Hide and Go Seek...tag, chase...

I actually heard..."Mom, I'm ready to go home now."

Then home we went for some one on one time, making bread for the week.

What a dreamy spring day!!!

One Small Change Update and Farewell March

On this last day of March I think back through so many memories and there are a lot that come from our One Small Change.

I really focused on slowing down, planning and thinking ahead so my family may eat more whole foods in our ONE SMALL CHANGE rather than those quick fixes in flash that are so easy for this on the go Momma to grab.

Our Small change list

• We make all our own bread now. I found this Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and am hooked...it is really that easy and I just found out that they have a new cookbook Healthy Bread in Five...on my wish list. We started with the basic recipe to get the rhythm, now we are using the Whole Wheat recipe soo good!
• The Farmer's Market opened, so we have an abundance of local produce and have plans to get there every Saturday morning. There is also a neighborhood market on Wednesdays we caught today.
• We have created a weekly meal rhythm that has helped me plan and prepare. It has also helped with stocking of the pantry and fridge...
• All veggie trimmings are saved for stock
• New rule...all left overs are to be eaten...I try and come up with creative ways to use them up...now with how much care we put into our food, we want zero to go to waste.
• Pizza night (Sat.) all from scratch. this moment

I think getting organized was the most difficult, but have made some small changes and am having fun making connections with the farmers' weekly at the market. A big change is we are eating less meat at our table. We are meat eaters and have only been consumers of grass fed beef and organic poultry for some time ...my last stage of the change will be to buy our meat from Afton Field Farm. We did buy an organic pasture chicken from a different local farm at the market week before last and I have made 4 meals from that one bird, and have two gallons of chicken stock in the freezer for more to come.

Maxx and I have been feeling under the weather and the other night after our bike ride we made chicken noodle soup and had tea. It was such a joy to both work on this project and sit down and enjoy the comfort. Maxx said very excited that he, "...L-O-V-E s peas and noodles" -the bonus of making our own...we get to add in extra :)

I am really loving living more simply and am looking forward to April's small change.

The New Season!

It was a BIG day!!!

The first farmer's market of the SEASON!!!
We packed a lot in and are going to sleep good Tooo-night!

Beautiful tarts, sweets and brownies!!!

Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam

He made Maxx a lion

Pasture Free Range Organic Eggs... colorful... beauties!

Bountiful ...OH nooo!!! We dropped our sample.

Energy booster. Montreal style bagels with dill cream cheese.

Red POPPIES!!!

And we left... Happy Campers!!!

Personal Found World and Anticipation

Funny!

I was looking through some pictures from the past, and came across some that were right at 3 years ago (Spring 2007)...WOW!!! It is amazing how we as people change. I look through my "MySpace" posts and realized how much of a different person I was then, than I am now. My values are the same, but my tone is different.

Maturity? I would say, for sure.

In the picture above the young me as a new parent, Maxx is a 2 year old and we had, had a looong day at a festival.

I look in the mirror today and I have 6 inch roots!

Yes...that blonde is from a different me. That Jane could not even leave the house without makeup...lots of black eyeliner...smoky shadows on my eyes...a new hair color every month or if not a new color, my roots touched up (the photo above I had 3 shades of color black, red, and blond in the back), lots of time in front of a mirror with a blow dryer and styling products...shop shop shop...closet full of clothes, bags, and just stuff! I had outfits. Loads of jewelry, and killer creeper shoes to match whatever my costume was for the day. Yes, I had many many colors and shapes of those heavy sole shoes. lol I need to find more pictures...I am always the one behind the camera, so I am in so few.

I have morphed into another person. I seem to have shed my skin and now see a new world. Really it was a choice and I chose to make a change. Take my activism to a new level. I can create change and control what we do as a family...less preachy and more of a personal and daily fight. I turned "it" (mainstream media) off and closed the door. No msn, no cnn, no news paper, no magazines, and T.V. was torched out of our life a while back before this faze.

So if you ask me who the new celebrities are, anything about pop culture pre 2008 or what is "in" or what the latest block buster is...I will have a blank stare, because I choose not to know.

I decided in '08 the only way I would hear or see the world was through other Mothers' blogs or word of mouth. If there is a cool movie and they post about it...I may check it out, or someone tells me about an inspiring book or a product or a news event, then I would know.

Really. I don't know what the news is blah-ing about... the latest scandal or even the weather unless I heard it from someone.

*inhale*

It is so so so so nice. Freeing!

I want to see the world unsolicited...without an agenda...to sell me something, to distract me, to create fear. There is enough stress and distraction in daily life, that the mainstream stuff just seemed to add to my pile and distract me from finding out more about who I am as a person, as a mother, and where I want to be.

Now we eat at home (except on Fridays), cook with whole foods, always have something soaking, put my hair in a pony tail sometimes wet, and head out the door with or without a touch of makeup, I play with Maxx, we make handmade gifts and cards. My closet now: 4 shirts and 2 pairs of pants with clogs is what I have and wear.

Doing this what have I learned? The world through Mothers' eyes is hopeful, beautiful, sweet, proud, powerful, amazing, funny, creative, inventive, personal and inspiring simplicity. I love the world I see.

Looking through the pictures each year in the "spring" folders their is one familiar event I notice, and the only change this year will be to go more often. Each spring I have photos of us at the Farmer's Market. This is something we look so forward to every year! Seeing the rows of greens, vegetables, flowers, fruits, fresh baked goods, some crafts and art, canned salsas and preserves, local honey, cheese, farm fresh eggs and meats.

AWWW! My sweet little punk by the rocks. Here is a sweet one of Maxx eating some blueberries he picked out at the Chicago Farmer's Market the same year as the photo above.

The Farmer's market on this scale is one thing we really missed while we lived in Houston. Portland's market opens next week!!! We are full of anticipation!!

My Spring Come Back!

Oh my... how long has it been?

I am going to take some of the other Mama's ideas that I have seen in blog land and post some thoughts and or pictures at least 2 times per week. I can do this!!!

My blog come back!!!

A little update...moved across country again...

this time to the magical Portland, Oregon. We really really really really really really really really really love it here!

Personally I feel at home for once. More comfortable with me and who I am. I am okay with where I am at... and am soooo excited about my future. My senses have been so heightened since we have moved here...

Examples are:

1. Meeting someone I work with, who met their spouse at the very same place I met Kurt...and we both got married on the same day same year. We have lots of things in common...I must know her from another life. I feel very comfortable talking to her, like a sister.
2. I see a friend all over town from behind and walk up to see their face... it is not them, in fact they live in another state...to find out that they are looking to move her.
3. Some of my favorite blogs I have followed for a couple of years...these mothers live in Portland, other parts of the Pacific Northwest.
4. Some of my favorite artists like Nikki McClure are here in the Pacific Northwest.
5. Lots of things in common with lots of beautiful people here.