Marshmallow

Olympic Fun

We've been living in Camas for a year now, and I have to say that we have made very little progress when it comes to making friends here. The strange thing is that it doesn't seem to matter. Because we DO have friends in the greater Portland area (some of whom we hardly knew before and are enjoying getting better acquainted with), and between seeing those folks and spending time with extended family and getting our projects around the house done, it turns out that we are pretty busy all the time.

We get to do fun things like go visit our friends the Shackelfords. For Father's Day weekend we headed up to Olympia. On Saturday morning, dads and kids went to the air show while Heather and I hit the flea market and then went out to lunch. I can't imagine a more dandy way to spend a day.

Here are the kids taking a break after the air show. I would love to know what it is they're watching that caused the same expression on all three boys' faces.

That evening we were present for the inaugural use of the backyard fire pit. There were s'mores, of course.

Shaun is the undisputed kind of the toasted marshmallow.

Once the kids were safely tucked away, we got to enjoy some grown-up time. Heather recreated a tart she'd had with homemade apricot jam, yogurt, and honey-glazed pine nuts. It looked mighty good, and it tasted even better.

Yep. We were spoiled.

On Sunday morning, Dave and Shaun each took a boy kayaking (Nels's first time; I hear he did great), and then we all had lunch down by the water at Tugboat Annie's, where they make a burger big enough to slice up like a pizza and feed at least six people.

Amid the bustle of our fun and busy weekend, I abdicated all personal responsibility for making sure Shaun had a great Father's Day. I forgot to have the boys make him a card and I even made Shaun drive us home. (In my defense, that's only because I fell right asleep in the car after lunch.) I felt pretty bad once we got home and I saw on Facebook that all my friends were grilling up steaks and ribs for THEIR husbands. Shaun was nice about it and I was grateful.

One great feature of busy weekends is that they make the quiet ones RELAXING rather than BORING. So we've been greatly enjoying the best of both, and feeling thankful for where we've landed.

Family Milestone: First Camping Trip

Last month we finally got around to taking the boys camping. It would have happened a lot sooner, but I had been resistant (OK, stubbornly refused) to go until both boys were stable on their feet and sleeping through the night. We would have gone last summer, but we were too busy getting settled in after our move to Washington from Idaho.

We probably STILL wouldn't have gone camping yet, were it not for the genius of our friend Lisa Marie, who organized a 30th birthday party for herself at Beacon Rock State Park. There was a Friday night chili cookout, and whoever wanted to stay and camp, did.

It turned out to be a perfect entry-level camping experience for the boys. There were lots of friends to play with, there was a giant rock to hike up, and we were only 15 miles from home! No long car ride to fuss about.

Little minivan in the woods.

The boys spent HOURS hanging out on this rock. I wish we had one just like it at home.

Mila easily wins the "cutest camper" award.

Here's the Morgan family at the start of the hike up Beacon Rock (disputably the second-largest rock monolith in the world, second only to the Rock of Gibraltar.)

Turns out Willem is as nervous about heights as I am, but Nels isn't bothered at all. He sped on ahead...

but that didn't stop me from holding his hand in a death grip as we crossed some of these open walkways. I would never, ever, ever take a badly-behaved kid up there. Holy smokes.

Willem settled in for a nap when we got to the top. Poor kid was tired and hungry. This winning combination results in...

this.

Ugh, this photo gives me vertigo every time I see it. I was way out of my comfort zone on this hike.

Beacon Rock! We climbed it!

Camping dirt-face.

Yes, ma, we love camping.

The Kind Of Nerd I Am

I am embarrassed to admit how much fun I had doing an exercise from my writing class last week. The gist of it is that you take a poem in a foreign language and write what you think it says.

When I first tried this, the linguist in me kept wanting to actually attempt a translation, which was definitely not the point. Write a poem based on your impressions of the words that make up the original, not what you actually think it says. It helps to find a language totally unrelated to one you've ever studied. That way you can't cheat.

Yes, it sounds cheesy. That's why I'm abashed that I enjoyed it so much.

The original Hungarian poem I used is here. And following is my "translation":

It's curt and lazy, a fat little novel.

Hello? This call I'm making is collect.

Just the same, the bulls at the dock are half curry;

Casks of Beaujolais wriggle vigorously.

Mind the Beaujolais' vigorousness;

We have less vigor.

We have sung less, in front of their banners,

And gaze less madly at vigorousness.

The jet, its sock is a pip of a sock.

Do you hear me, jolly, wiggling sock?

Just as their games see and find them,

Magnanimity eludes them.

Death is not gone; I am not gone;

Little napkins, big napkins have eclipsed my village,

Leaving it a sterling mirage.

I know you're all way cooler than I am, so I'm not expecting anyone else to want to do this. But if you DID, and then put your goofy poem in the comments, it would totally make my day.

Heart Update

Today we took a family excursion to Doernbecher's to find out how Willem's heart is doing these days since his surgery.

Here's what we learned:

1. The small opening that remained after the hole was patched has closed up on its own. Good!

2. The fibrous bundles of muscle tissue partially obstructing his valves have not grown back at ALL since they were removed in the surgery, which they sometimes inexplicably do. VERY good!

3. His aortic valve still has a "mild to moderate" leak. Could be better, could be worse.

Right now, Willem's heart is doing a great job. If it stayed like it is, he would be just fine. The valve function could even improve over time. It hasn't gotten any worse in the eight months since his surgery.

It COULD get worse, which is something that happens slowly, and is easily monitored. The next step would be treatment with blood pressure medication. And if it got still worse, he'd need a new valve. This could happen over a period of years or never happen at all. He'll have an echocardiogram every year for the rest of his life, which would have been the case anyway.

Overall, good news, and I'm thankful. I would have liked to hear that the leak had improved, but I have to say that I don't mind that Willem's heart will be so closely watched. Hearts are tricky, and I hate to hear the stories of people who just keel over with no prior history of problems. At least we'll always know exactly how his heart's doing. If only I could monitor the rest of my kids' parts so well.

School's Out For Summer

I'm one of those grumpy people who thinks no one should "graduate" until he or she is finished with high school. So I wasn't thrilled about forking over $18 for a cap and gown for Nels's pre-school graduation, an event which I find gratuitous and a little silly. Fortunately, Willem spent the next week wearing "the hat with the fossil" and "the red dress," so the purchase wasn't a total loss. And Nels's school combined its graduation ceremony with a spring program, which helped to redeem the occasion.

The Pre-K kids made surf boards and did a very elaborate routine to "Surfin' USA." Nels was really into it. Willem learned some of the song too, but he prefers his own rendition: "Burpin' USA."

Nels and his fellow Sensible Seahorses are about to sing their class song.

He's so serious. Like he knows the fun's over.

Hang in there, little buddy. Only thirteen years to go.

Happy Father's Day