When we last left off, the first layer of fine rock was laid down, the skies were threatening, and Andy was about to use the rented Home Depot vibraplate that Alton refers to as "the machine." Installing our synthetic grass lawn requires digging out dirt (so that when the grass is eventually laid, it is level with the patio), leveling the ground, laying down anti-weed fabric, and spreading and tamping down layers of fine rock to allow drainage before rolling out a carpet of "fake" grass and staking it down through the dirt. Wow! And remember that Andy is so far doing all of this by himself. I have held the occasional string line and fetched lunch and snacks, but he gets all the credit.
Two layers of rock were spread, smooshed into place, and smoothed down completely level. And no rain! Andy was working hard and we held our breath all day, expecting the worst, but we escaped with no downpour and even got some blue skies and sun in the afternoon.
Then Andy prepped the corner farthest from the house, in which we are planting a small evergreen shrub that was recommended by Grandpa Charlie Rhyne, our resident horticulture expert. Andy measured a quarter-circle against the fences, marked it, installed a plastic border to keep the rock from falling in, and dug the smooth rock away to be placeholder for our little potted plant, which will eventually be 4-6 ft tall!
While this rock and smoothing and leveling was going on, Alton came out to see what Daddy was doing. This photo also serves as a great shot of the paint job that Andy did on his wheelbarrow--a rainy day boredom project from a few weekends ago.
Alton thought it was superfun to scrape his be-sandaled feet back and forth in the rocks...
until he realized that his sandals were now filling with fine rock and he didn't like it!
This was Monday of Memorial Day weekend, so the end of a holiday off work for most people, but Andy has taken this week off of work to tackle the remainder of this project...except for Tuesday morning! His plan for the a.m. is to get going early, return the vibraplate, return the rented trailer he used to haul dirt away, pick up four wood posts at the fancy lumber store, head to work, return the rototiller that he borrowed from a coworker, attend two meetings and give a tour, go to SynLawn and pick up our roll 'o grass, and then head home in hopes that the skies would not open up. (Alton and I are getting haircuts.) Wish Andy luck!
I know that Andy is going to eventually write a bigger post detailing his experience with putting in our SynLawn, but for now I'm going to give you a very small sneak peek at what he's gotten done so far. Lots and lots of prep happened last week before Memorial Day weekend began, and then starting on Saturday he was stringing and digging, digging and dumping. This is what the string 'n dig looked like:
More stringing and digging (look closely for the pink string, for extra festiveness):
Then it was time to lay down the anti-weed fabric in order to keep nasty weeds out and mud from creeping up through the drain holes into our grass.
By the end of day two, the rock was in:
Day three (Monday) has been threatening some afternoon rain, so Andy has been working quickly with the rented vibraplate to tamp down the fine rock and add another layer.
Alton and I have been just trying to stay out of the way. Andy is happy to have us watch, but Alton can only stay patient on the patio for a short time before he wants to join Daddy in his workspace, and the rock is hard enough for Andy to level without being subjected to Alton's official Toddler CrazyRun™. So I have been keeping Alton busy elsewhere before lunchtime to give Andy lots of privacy to get all his work done. Saturday morning was supposed to be some of our only real sun during the weekend, so I loaded Alton onto my bike and rode to the gym, where we swam for awhile before showering and finishing up, having a snack, and riding home. Alton loves to swim!
Our Sunday morning was a little more spontaneous. We drove down to Newberg to hang with our buddies the Lee Family, and found that Chris had some yard projects and hardware store trips of his own for the long weekend. Elizabeth and I decided that sitting indoors with grey rainclouds threatening all the time was not a fun way to enjoy our morning together, so on the spur of the moment we decided to take part in Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country! Over the long weekends of Memorial Day and Thanksgiving, the Willamette Valley Wineries Association hosts events at their wineries with some special tastings and even a few food pairings. Many of the wineries are not generally open to the public, and I had heard about this event and was longing for a trip to Sineann (shi-nayne). My dad purchased a bottle of their Pinot Noir for us as part of a "Bon Voyage to Oregon" wine variety collection two years ago, and we loved it so much we decided to hunt it down another time and found that not only is it difficult to shop for in local stores, the tasting room is open by appointment only! Sineann's inaccessibility served to make it even more attractive. But they were open yesterday, so getting back to my morning with Elizabeth, we packed up all three of our kids and headed over to the Sineann tasting room. Little *F rode around with Elizabeth in the Ergo while Alton and *B giggled together on the covered outdoor deck and ate water crackers that we pilfered from the cheese table. We swirled and sipped and each bought a bottle to take home (okay, I bought two), and were pleased to receive several compliments on how adorable and well-behaved our children were! Woohoo!
Today is Monday and although so far we are rain-less, Andy is working busily and preparing for a possible storm incoming tomorrow. Alton and I went to music class this morning and are getting our house ready for a visit from Grammy and Grandpa!
As Katie was in Seattle celebrating Alexa's birthday, Alton and I were left to our own defenses for the weekend. I was excited about the idea of having the little man to myself all weekend and he, of course, had no idea what was coming. We were plagued with rain for nearly the whole weekend so fun trips to the park and other outdoor activities were out. Our fun was to last from Friday all the way through Sunday evening.
Friday didn't start off so well. I was not feeling well that morning and actually called in sick to work (this is legit, I swear). After sleeping many hours more, I felt well enough for Katie to leave for Seattle at AJ's nap time. That afternoon/ evening, we did the most logical thing for two guys to do when we're left alone - nothing. We played a bit and then set about preparing dinner and other night time activities.
Saturday, I had a grand plan. First, we would get up and head to the gym. AJ would get to play in their play area and I would get a workout. Afterward, we would head home for snacks and nap. Not so much. Alton decided that play time with strangers was not what he signed up for and so the gym was abandoned and we returned home. Once we got home, with rain sprinkles off and on all day, I decided some garage time would be fun.
In true "Daddy dressed me" fashion, I let Alton pick every stitch of his clothing. Hat, shirt, jacket and glasses.
Alton and I kept busy moving things around the garage (some in a clean-up fashion, some in a 'this is fun to carry' fashion) and poking our heads outside when we could. Alton decided that a little rain was no big deal and insisted on going out front and exploring the various flowers and plants.
That afternoon had a similar feel, but we were able to see the sun this time, so we had the opportunity to brave the outdoors. We had a few walks up and down the street, checked the mail and only got rained on a little.
The picture below is Alton "getting ready for dinner and washing his hands."
Sunday was much more eventful. A trip to the gym yielded the same results as the day before, but this time we were prepared. I had brought swim suits for both of us and Mr. Swimmer Man swam for an hour and a half before I insisted we go home for lunch. Quite the stud.
Sunday afternoon was the highlight of the weekend. I had received an email from my good friend Ryan, an airplane aficionado and private pilot, who had told me about a B17 WW2 bomber that was coming to our airport here in Hillsboro for the weekend. I tracked the weather like a hound and found that Sunday afternoon would give us the most consistent chance of less rain. So for $5, AJ and I meandered over to the airport and started our tour.
We spent the better part of two hours touring this plane. It was actually quite interesting. AJ was shy at first, choosing to stay at the back of the plane, going in through the easy-to-access rear door that was just his size.
Alton spent a lot of time trying out the different seats as well.
Radio Man Alton.
Alton tolerating Daddy sharing a seat with him.
Since we could only spend so much time in the back of the plane (it was getting crowded in that small space) and Alton wasn't quite ready to brave the 8' ladder to the nose of the plane so we spent some time walking around the outside of the plane.
The weather did show its ugly face a little with a couple of heavy downpours that lasted about 10 minutes each. This is AJ and Daddy hiding under one of the wings until the rain stopped.
I finally convinced Alton that Daddy would help him climb the ladder. He loved it so much once he was up there that he insisted we go again once we had made our way through.
This is Alton in the hatch in the nose of the plane. The clearance in this section was so low that even AJ could barely stand upright in it.
We finally made it to the cockpit!
And luck be with us. As we were winding down, we found that we were actually leaving in time for the 4 o'clock flight to start (for a large fee, you could actually take a ride in this plane!). So, on top of everything, we got to see the B17 bomber start up, taxi and take off.
(The shaking halfway through this video is me standing up due to the number of people walking in front of us. Since I didn't want AJ to get away from me, I had to pick him up at the same time and it's hard to keep a camera still when doing so.)
This is the plane's taxi to the runway. The plane sat for quite a long time waiting for clearance and AJ kept telling me to walk out there to him. Too cute!
And finally, the take off. I was squatting down taking this and had to twist around and hold the camera over AJ - again with the shaking.
Lastly, I'd like to thank Zach and Karen. They let me use their point-and-shoot digital camera for this weekend and that allowed me to chronicle the weekend's activities.
As I mentioned in my Housekeeping post, we hope to build a play structure in our backyard for Alton, but before any constructing can begin we had to submit forms to our homeowner's association for approval. We recently got the great news that we've been approved! I was so skeptical, but trying not to talk about it too much; I was very afraid that after all the detailed schematic drawings and neighbor signatures we provided, the "Architectural Review Committee" was still going to tell us that it was too tall, too wide, too fun...something. But we're so happy that they've given us the official go-ahead, so Andy was giddy at being able to buy the playset blueprints online and begin studying them, assessing what bolts to buy and how much wood we'd need, etc. It will look something like this when it's all finished.
Heh. Just kidding.
But seriously, the backyard project kicks off this weekend and we could really use some help in convincing Mother Nature NOT to let it rain the entire time. Fingers crossed that Andy isn't initiating his digging work in a swamp all weekend long. First comes digging, then grass, then a dog run, then...playset!
To remind you, the backyard currently looks like this:
This is the year that I (and most of my friends) will be turning the big 3-0. A few months back in anticipation of her May birthday, Alexa's husband Brian (you all remember Brian and Alexa, of course) told me that he wanted a celebration that was part dinner party, part cooking lesson. He read a magazine article that talked about organizations that would bring party guests into the kitchen, instruct them in preparing a set menu of recipes, and then serve everyone up a wonderful meal that would taste all the better having been prepared by our own hardworking hands. A birthday party with a lesson to be learned, I like it! He had started trawling the Internet in search such a place in Seattle, and I joined in his efforts to seek out the perfect spot for Alexa's 30th birthday. After forty-odd emails between Brian and the proprietor of At the Table in Seattle, a date was selected (last Saturday night) along with a menu (Indian!).
Knowing that the dinner would likely run late at night and there would be knives brandished, Andy and I decided that Alton should probably not be one of the party attendees, so we hatched our plan to visit B&A as a family a few weekends ago, then dispatch me on a solo mission to the Emerald City to party it up with my best bud birthday girl these past few days. Father-Son Weekend at home! (Details forthcoming.)
I drove up to Seattle on Friday afternoon amidst rain and traffic, but not even sluggish, wet roads could get me down. I carefully hoarded my Weight Watchers points and squeezed in a workout Friday morning in anticipation of some weekend treats on my plate. I spent a nice low-key evening over pizza, wine and movie with Brian and Alexa, catching up and chatting and making fun of John Cusack's attempts to save the human race. Saturday morning dawned sunny, warm and clear and I cruised over to Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood to meet up with my friend Chris Walker for breakfast! (With a quick detour into the toy store Once Upon a Time on Queen Anne to get a "Mommy is gone for the weekend" gift for Alton--I couldn't return home to the kid empty handed, after all.) Chris is all settled in to his new hometown and has already finished up a community volleyball league season and moved on to softball. He also bought a pimpin' cruising boat and we drove down the hill to Lake Union to tour his craft. Looks like it's time to get a life vest for Alton!
Back at Alexa's, we primped for our evening of chef lessons and then drove to the home of one of the owners of the business, finding ourselves in her gorgeous, spacious great room overlooking Lake Washington.
We all donned aprons
and equipped ourselves with drinks,
before starting in on preparing the appetizers.
The first course was samosas, Indian dumplings that we created by stuffing packaged wonton wrappers with a mixture of potatoes, peas, and onion. They were then deep-fried...
and enjoyed hot with a sweet cilantro sauce made by other members of the group, which promptly became glued to the crevices in our teeth and gums and gave all of us green-flecked smiles for the rest of the evening. But we were a busy group! Cucumber and tomatoes were chopped and mixed with yogurt for a cold salad,
marinade was poured over chicken breasts headed for the oven,
and Alexa smiles with happiness at the frangipane pear tart being created for dessert.
Below we enjoy the fruits of our labors. (Note that all the heads are down, tucking into the meal!)
We were there for more than four hours and ate so much food! I'll be working out extra hard to make up for that this week. I belted home on Sunday afternoon to squeeze my little man and kiss my husband, but it was definitely a unique birthday party that we will not soon forget. Alexa had a wonderful time...
and so did I!
Enough of the excuses; it's time for me to step it up in the blog department. You all send us such great compliments and comments about how the blog is a fun little window into our lives (keep those coming, by the way--we are total slaves to the "Comments" feature on the blog and run from all over the house to crowd around the computer and read them when one comes in) and our number of visitors is certainly ticking upward day by day, so how about some new content? The weight loss goals that we've taken on really eat into our time (why are all my metaphors ones about food?), and sometimes it feels like a second job to be planning healthy dishes, measuring, counting, calculating, timing snacks and meals, and squeezing in exercise. I know it gets easier with time: you get more adept at eyeballing proper portions without measuring, exercise becomes such a part of your regular schedule that you include it without thinking, and carrots and water are no longer a snack, they are dessert. But for now, we are challenged and help one another with breaking previous patterns (you know what goes really well with blogging at the end of the night? a glass of WINE) and setting up healthy, successful behaviors (mmm, herbal tea!).
(What is Alton doing this whole time? Eating string cheese and waving at us to rub it in.)
"No, I don't need any string cheese, Alton; I will feast on your cuteness."
We combined exercise time and family time last weekend with a long bike ride through town for some park play and shopping. We hopped on our bicycles, with Alton riding shotgun on Andy's bike, and pedaled 7.5 miles to Noah's Bagels for a mid-morning brunch, took our snack over to Magnolia Park...and Alton jumped into the water feature and got soaked. This necessitated a detour from our original destination (REI, for Mommy to try on shoes) over to the 30% off sale at Gymboree, where we procured a clearance rack pair of seersucker Easter slacks for Alton to replace his sodden pants. After another 7.5 miles home I was beat, and sooo sore! I had to take several days off of working out to let the bike seat imprint fade from my body, then was able to hit the gym in full force this morning--grrr.
Besides counting food points and working out, the other major thing we've been working on is housekeeping. Not the bathroom-cleaning, counter-scrubbing, vacuuming kind of housekeeping (we wish--we manage to stay away from dog hair tumbleweeds in the house, but just barely sometimes), but the kind where we are prepping bit by bit for our projects in the yard. Of course you remember last year's patio transformation, and can't have already forgotten the mini-me side yard patio completed just weeks ago, but all of this has been gearing up for the big, massive, backbreaking plans for the dirt wasteland in between these two: the "grass." And grass is in quotation marks, because our soon-to-be executed backyard is going to be carpeted in synthetic grass. I had planned on waiting to describe this big project until it was already done, so that you all didn't feel like you could snark about it to us since it was already installed, but I had to let you know where all of our nights and weekends (i.e., blog time) have been going to!
I'd like to say that we are doing the synthetic grass purely for "living green" purposes, and admittedly the prospect of not having to water this grass, like, EVER is very appealing. But the low-maintenance factor is even more attractive! Andy plans to take the weekdays after Memorial Day off of work, recruit his father (a Grammy/Grandpa visit coming soon, brought to you by Southwest Airlines) and brother to pitch in, and a few days later we are done for years to come! No fertilizing, re-seeding, winterizing, mowing, trimming, or weeding required! The crowning glory will be a play structure in the middle of the grass, built by Andy to dimensions specific to our yard and allowing a safe play perimeter, including room for a sandbox below and Alton's favorite water table, of course.
(Water table picture break)
So the backyard has been getting into shape for these upcoming additions. We pulled the patio furniture out of storage, cleaned it, cleaned and filled the water table (about 5 times already), planted more plants in pots, swept up the winter months' supply of dead leaves and spider webs, pulled weeds (Andy gets all the credit for this--we had so many that the barren dirt patch was almost a lawn. A ghetto, Jeff Foxworthy redneck lawn, but an unbroken expanse of greens nonetheless.), and even brought the canvas umbrella out of retirement. We were also required by our HOA to read the CC&Rs, confirm that our playset would conform to their outdoor structure guidelines, fill out forms and submit building plans, obtain abutting neighbor signatures, and mail it all back to the Architectural Review Commitee. Whew!
But we are incredibly excited that by mid-June we could have a really awesome backyard and place to play for the summer months. We had a little pre-project get together this past weekend by inviting the Rhynes and the Groeners over for a Sunday barbecue dinner (which is what the water table picture above depicts). Since Andy's brother Zach, Auntie Karen and Cousin *P had not yet had the opportunity to meet my local Groener cousins (Seth lives in Vancouver, WA, while his older brother Matt, wife Di, and their two boys live in the same town as we do), we organized a casual evening for grilling chicken, munching chips, and splashing in the water table, of course.
The only divergence in all the aquatic masterminding was that *E and *O wanted to pour water from one receptacle to another without spilling any of it, while Team Toddler, represented by Alton and *P, wanted to bail out the water table like a leaking dinghy.
You can see how hard they are concentrating to keep the water inside the table!
Alton wants the water to be free, free!
Luckily the opposing goals were reconciled when the two little ones discovered the bowl of tortillas chips at juuust their height, and abandoned the water table.
Better rehydrate after that.
Even more fun times were to be had inside after everyone was in dry clothes; bibliophile *E let Alton and *P cozy up to him on the couch while he read aloud.
And don't forget puzzle time!
Seth treated us to a delicious bakery banana cake for dessert and we all went home full, happy, and ready to welcome summer! Expect many more sunlit posts, especially as our landscaping and play equipment projects unfold.
