We watched part of the Super Bowl as part of Super Bowl Sunday and Lake really likes Lake Gaga! Thank you for hosting the Baby Bowl 2017, Gisselle! You guys and Roland are truly lovely hosts. We also enjoyed a visit from Aunt Janet and Uncle Neil, and a brave Miranda and Jason volunteered to babysit Lake while we all went out to the Moore to see one of our all time favorite films, the Swedish vampire flick Let the Right One In acted out by the National Theater of Scotland. It was a fantastic performance, impressive set, and overall phenomenal production! Successful impromptu Date Night made possible with friends…

Mostly though, Lake and Mummy just had a mellow weekend at home while Daddy worked and Jo took the time off to go out with friends and enjoy Seattle. We appreciated the time together to bond and lounge around. While the halftime show with Lady Gaga was great, the highlight for me was really a perfect day with my Super Boy!

Lake likes to live life at full tilt. That involves smiling at strangers. Flirting with neighbors. Wiggles and giggles. Ice cream for breakfast. Just kidding. But today was National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. Who knew? We were Lindsin around the Upper Ave today having brunch at Arayas and cruising through the rain or shine (rain today!) year-round University District Farmer’s Market and we discovered this fun fact. We popped in at Full Tilt and met Annelise our ultra nice ice cream barista, a sophomore majoring in mathematics and much like Lake: interested in all aspects of life. This Full Tilt is like the little known country cousin of the glamorous Full Tilt in Ballard. There they served mimosas and waffles and had a pajama party contest in honor of Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. Here on the Upper Ave we were rewarded with an empty shop: so no lines, no fuss, just personal service and a nice chat. Building community, living life at Full Tilt. 



Lake learned how to open and close the kitchen cupboards this evening. Michael showed him how to get started and Lake ran with it. Really gripping and pulling. It was pretty engaging. Lake opens. Lake closes. Whee; he’s rather pleased with his newfound skills. His learning curve is impressively steep. He’s pretty fun!

Lake’s explorations and discoveries reminds us some of Jo’s steep learning curve with polishing her English. We love her endearing idioms and are reluctant for the inevitable as they fall by the wayside and she moves toward more correct but boring grammar. For example, she’s been calling clothes by the expected plural format of “clotheses”. We really find it sweet. Michael agreed maybe he needed some new clotheses. So it’s with mixed emotions that per her request I correct her English. 

You ride, not drive, the bus. 

You changed Lake’s diaper one hour ago, not for one hour. 

And you simply wear your clothes, not clotheses. 

But Lake is growing up so fast. He even closes the cupboard doors now! So, really don’t mind if every once in a while we reminisce and for old times sake you dress Lake in his cute clotheses outfits. 



I did it. I took a conversation my colleagues were having about racial profiling and made it about me. About me! A conversation about border patrol agents and immigration control and being detained, questioned, friends turned away.

It’s happening already. 

I was incredulous. Really? My super professional incredibly diplomatic and poised colleague who is a foreign born head scarf wearing US citizen is actually afraid of her citizenship being revoked and being deported?

Yes, things are happening so fast. We don’t know what could be next. I am afraid,

she confirmed. And continued with a story of being detained and asked for intelligence information several years ago upon returning to the country after a visit abroad. I remember when she returned. She was excitedly sharing the photos of her holiday which had included a visit and clothes shopping with her sister in Dubai.

So, what do I do today? I join in with my own story of my organic fruit being confiscated during my last border crossing. Michael and I were driving down from a romantic babymoon weekend in Vancouver Canada last year. I was pregnant and they wouldn’t even let me eat the oranges before they destroyed them. And they were organic! And gosh, you know how much I craved citrus last winter whilst pregnant. And I had purchased them at Trader Joe’s in Seattle to begin with! I was outraged. Michael had to physically restrain me with hugs so I wouldn’t actually escalate the situation to further detainment questioning and ? It was pretty bad. 

But how white privileged is that? I’m upset about my organic fruit being confiscated. My colleagues are being profiled and being held in suspicion. And worrying about themselves or friends and family being detained and deported. At least I realized how disproportionate my similar stories were and I also sat down so I wasn’t towering over everyone. 

Next time I hope to exercise the “two ears one mouth” principle and do more listening, less talking. 

My Swiss friend’s husband calls her his lucky star. Ever since they are together things go well for him and their family. Everything always works out beautifully. ⭐️ I find this to be a dear and compelling sentiment. 

Yesterday Michael was saying how well things are for us and was complimenting me for my part in orchestrating it all. He’s very good at being supportive and knowing what I would find encouraging. 

It’s true, we are feeling rather blessed. There have been an almost exponential rate of changes this past year and we are keeping up with ourselves quite well. We have yet to unpack or hang our artwork in our new home, but otherwise we are enjoying a homey satisfaction. We have a growing number of dependents who seem pleased and content. What a good feeling!

Today the café trivia at Diva Espresso was:

The name of which plant, cultivated for its edible leaves, comes from Latin word for milk, because of its milky leaves?

Can you guess it botanical friends? The barmen exclaimed I was the only one all day who had gotten it right. I was thinking maybe that I would win a month’s free espresso, after all I even remembered to Rabbit Rabbit this morning. 

No, just bragging rights…

…the barmen lamented. Apparently the lucky star only extends so far. I’m not complaining; such a perfect day! Thank you world! Thank you stars! And, thank you Grandpa for knowing over the phone just how to reconnect the thermostat that accidentally got switched off today on such a beautiful clear and so cold night! I love you!

Sunshine 

And rainclouds

She sees it all and still she keeps on smiling!

It’s really nice that Jo brings Lake to me for his lunch. We get to bond and we both eat our meals together. He gets good-for you breastmilk and I get to keep up my milk supply without pumping. It’s been going swimmingly never a hitch. Well, Lake must have thought it was time to mix things up a bit. Today after eating and sleeping beautifully for 59 minutes straight, Lake took the opportunity for in the 60th moment to throw it all back up. All over me! 

I was sitting in the biggest puddle of puke imaginable. That little guy can really tank up! Then, unfortunately all our hard work regurgitated back up. At least when Mr. Cat does the same thing he thinks nothing of licking it back up off the floor. Not Lake. He just smiles and flirts and carries on like all is perfect. Then I get to go back to work for my second half. Luckily we have scrubs. I stop by the bathroom on my way in from lunch, throw out my jeans, don a pair of scrubs and a smile. 

Home sweet home and all clean with a sleeping babe… a perfect day!

Lake is eight months old now! We had quite a baby party to celebrate. Well, life with Lake is all one big baby party if you’re open to it. He’s always up for a chat and a song and a smile. We pulled out the merman fish tail for the occasion. And had some fun with the whole family!

Lake is learning to be more mobile and manifest his ideas. He’s getting more comfortable in the crawl position. He’s a ton of fun and the life of our party!

We are über super fortunate as it turns out… Not only do we have Jo, but Jo has another au pair friend from Germany living just four blocks from us. And this au pair, her name is Rafaela, is taking care of another baby even. Her baby girl is just two months younger than Lake. Rafaela is a lot of fun and she and Jo get along really well. And the babies are thus also getting acquainted. It’s really cute! Today they got together as they often do to take the babies out for a walk in the fresh air. Sometimes they meet up at Greenlake. First they played a bit here at home before walking to the University Village. So I finally got to meet Rafaela and Piper. So sweet! We had a good visit. Come again, neighbors! We are so happy to be friends. 

This afternoon when I was home sick, the cats were showing me how it’s done. The resting napping thing. I’m not very practiced at it. I could really use some guidance and mentorship. I thought it remarkable they had chosen nesting grounds to suitably coordinate with their furs. Well, I’m still pretty sick and hacking up a lung, so tomorrow I’ll get another chance at a cat nap. Maybe I can find a golden blanket to curl up on. I have no excuse that I really don’t have the very best teachers!

And then again this evening: