In the course of going to bed last night we were talking about the day, as we often do. I said,

Langley is a nice dog.

And he replied,

No, Langley is not a nice dog, he is a Newfoundland dog.

Oh my, I cracked up and could not stop laughing! Of course Lake joined sofort in the hilarity.

A perfect day, I’m glad I spent my evening with you and Langley, Lake!

In a big booming low sports announcer voice Lake and Baba said,

La-ke Van Laan-en

And then

La-ke Van Laan-en, a-gain!

over and over as he jumped off the bench near Bowerman Field.

Lake VanLaanen! Lake said as he jumped off the bench.

And then

This all occurred one month ago, but we were joking around last night and he remembered. He’s a funny person.

A perfect day, I’m glad we we were able to spend it together with NanaBaba and then reminisce on a dark mid-winter night in Seattle!

Having a rare night out to ourselves in Seattle, (thank you Jamma Julie!) we, Lakes parents, went to check out a vegan bar on Capitol Hill that we hadn’t been to before. It was not exactly what I was expecting. I hadn’t questioned my assumption of what a vegan bar would be like, but I was thinking something in the Chaco Canyon, No Bones Beach Club, kind of vein. It occurred to me amidst the darkened metal-blaring Highline Bar that there are different reasons for vegan. I take it for granted that Seattle flavor of vegan is local-organic-PCC shopping-bicoastal elite-yoga vegan. There’s actually a whole world of vegans. Highline (vegan) Bar leans heavily towards… metal. We had a great time dancing for a few songs where the lyrics consisted mostly of actual roaring, and maximally enjoyed our kind-to-the-planet pub dinner which was none too kind to the eardrums.

So, now I can appreciate the entire scope of vegans. What kind of vegan are you?*

1. Planet loving (less water and energy required)

2. Health minded (you live longer the fewer animal products you consume)

3. Food allergy restricted (allergies to dairy, eggs, meat)

4. Anarchy to corporate hegemony that is modern American food industry. (This type includes hard rock metal bands.)

After our vegan immersion experience we went to the Egyptian to watch Jorgos Lanthimos’ The Favorite (2018). It may be a royal drama, however having also directed Dog Tooth (2009) and The Lobster (2015), it has the Greek director’s certain trademark dark twist to the humor. Fantastic! Highly recommend.

*when I showed the blog title to Michael he said “what kind of vegan are you?” with the exact inflection I was imagining from Moonrise Kingdom’s memorable line, “what kind of bird are you?” I said and that’s why we’re married together!

1. Select the freshest local market foods

2. Don’t be in a hurry to get to the dessert

3. Throw in some group levity (we sang happy birthday to Jesus, in Swedish)

4. Have delightful friends,

5. And a husband that cooks.

A perfect day, I’m glad I spent it with you! Thank you dear ones! And Lake, for coming together and making a lovely festive experience!

If it weren’t for the happy tail, one might easily mistake this majestic giant for a bear in the woods on this frosty morning! Well, please, give me a bear hug. Oh, give me a bear hug! Reminds me of the song my friend Forest once wrote: Faces so soft. Love so strong. Give me a bear hug, oh give me a bear hug!

A perfect day, I’m glad I spent it with you Langley! It’s so good to have you back with us! Thank you, Mark and Karen Rupert!

My True Love said to me, “I’m sick! Probably not the flu, but I have a fever and chills and headache and sore throat and I’m ti-ired!” and then he proceeded to participate fully in a weekend jam-packed with visitors, visiting and merriment. We exclaimed, you were “six for six while sick!” We didn’t want to miss a minute.

Mama’s best friend “Auntie Jessica” came up from Portland to visit with her girls (rhymes with squirrels if you’re Lake, aka “his ‘tousins'”) and we had a general blast. To enumerate: Saturday we went to the University District Farmers’ Market, sunset beach walk at Discovery Park West Pt. Lighthouse, (We also snuck in phõ and santa photos in Ballard!) and capped the day off with carosel ride

and Komodo Dragon Lizard activity while wandering the Woodland Park Zoo WildLights.

Sunday we went to Pike Place Market by Link light rail (where per Lake we ride the alligator ie elevator) for family pictures. We drove out to Issaquah-Hobart to the Enchanted Winds Christmas Tree Farm for the Newfoundland Club of Seattle sponsored annual carting event.

Finally, we picked up Newfoundland Langley from the Rupert’s home. Yes, the four of us all fit in The Egg (our ’98 Honda Civic, aka compact family car). After his initial apprehensive shyness, Lake warmed back up to his old friend Langley. Lake said, “So Bi-ig!” “I touched him! He’s fluffy!” and “Langley Loves Me.”

When we arrived home, Langley and I walked through Ravenna Park while Michael and Lake made dinner for “Dinnertime”. We were all thankful for the good times with our friends and our relative health. We were by then thoroughly worn out and all went to bed early.

A perfect weekend, I’m glad I spent it with you, My True Love!

Lake has a hot/cold relationship with bedtime. Sometimes he’s an angel climbing up into bed and wishing us goodnight and reading himself to sleep. He can be sensible and funny. Sometimes he’s overtired and gets into a stupor: whining and winging, groaning or downright tantruming. Getting greedy and running bedtime early usually results in spending all the time it was hoped to gain with him sitting half-covered in bed, chatting and reading, often eventually breaking down anyway.

Tonight he was in-between, lukewarm, and Michael had a nice conversation with him. He asked him, “do you know about bedtime? do you know what bedtime is?

“Bedtime is when everyone gets all the things they need for bedtime. Momma gets her things. Lake gets his things. And then they’re set to sleep comfortably. What do you need to sleep?”

Lake asked: “Is Momma tired?” “Yes and, incidentally, Dadums is tired too.”

After organizing the various bears required for comfort, he settled in peaceably.

Though all this didn’t prevent moaning from creeping forth from his room twenty minutes later.

Finally we got him a book, and after it hit him in the head he was able to be engaged with the encouragement that he could be very proud of himself for putting himself to sleep by reading to himself after we read and sang and played together. And Lake thus engrossed, the parents went peacefully to sleep with thoughts of sugar plum fairies dancing in our heads and the sound of mournful Mama/Mami cries drifting down the hall.

And then we awoke, played and read books, went to work, played and sang and danced, made squash soup for dinner, and listened to Christmas music while trimming the tree.

We had a grand time, and again it was Bedtime. Back to Top.

We enjoyed one relatively non-raining day during our Alaska stay to go into the forest. We all went on a family walk around Lake Ward. Lake loved it… “we’re going into the forest,” he rejoiced. It’s very Alaska! Moss draped over every surface, coating everything, somehow even thicker than my reference temperate rainforest, the Quinault. He’s having a grand time overall playing with his cousins. We all are.

Once we were back cozy at play in the house, Oliver asked Can Lake stay for two years!? Then he reflected: if Lake stayed for two years, then I’d be 9 years old.

I’d be four, Lake rejoins.

This all happened and was corroborated by four actual eye witnesses.

We’re in the nice wintertime, Lake said looking out the window of the cozy house perched on the rock above the harbor that constitutes Ketchikan. Meanwhile, it’s so cold and wintery I’m needing to cut my Rice Dream with a knife and eat it with a fork and it’s a raging storm outside with small craft advisory warnings and wind gusting up to 60 miles per hour. What kind of storm would you call this? I asked my brother-in-law. “I’d call it an everyday occurrence type of day until May” he quips back.

A perfect day, a perfect stay. Thank you Bradley’s and Jamma Julie for a memorable thanksgiving holiday weekend! We love you all!

Lake loves airplanes, flying and going to visit people. It all came together for our Thanksgiving visit to the Ketchikan cousins. Full of thanks to the Bradley Family for hosting us for Lake’s first visit to Alaska! Getting on the airplane Lake proclaimed excitedly he was “going to see the cows!” The locals aboard laughed, “there are no cows in Ketchikan”, they countered. Lake’s confidence never flagged and he remained exuberant for the cows of Ketchikan. When we landed at the Ketchikan International Airport after a lovely flight, Lake exclaims “We made it in Ketchikan!” We land in Agra Ina Island and Sister Kendra is there to welcome us on the other side of the Tongass Narrows which requires a ferry ride to cross. We made it!… in Ketchikan!

Lake is at the sweetest age where he’s constantly exploring new environments and making discoveries. To wit… many “firsts.” Tonight it was his first ice water. Last weekend it was his first toy store. So special to see the joy of his revelations!

Here he is crunching first ice from ice water with the “shining eyes” of an inventor hitting pay dirt.

He also says the most adorable phrases, “come up here, pard’ner,” he said over and over whilst speaking with his stuffed animals this morning at play. “So many twing twings on icy!” he triumphed this evening while reading a book about penguins at the South Pole. “You wanna read the book together? Talk on it?” Really, Lake, I do! And what “A perfect day,” I’m glad I spent it with you, morning and night, my fun zestful ice man!