San Diego With My Boy

While working at Gap Inc. what feels like a million years ago I met Ryan. He was one of the head guys in the Store Design department. He seemed quiet and always calm. Words that I don't think many people would use when describing me, especially back in the day. Ryan has a wife. She too can be described as calm and at peace. Khamla is from Laos originally and besides being a calm spirit, she happens to be strikingly beautiful.

Khamla and I were pregnant with our first babies at the same time. With babies in slings and a lack of sleep that made life fuzzy but wonderful a friendship was born. We then wound up pregnant with our second babies not far apart and became the mothers of two boys each. It made hanging out fun to say the least.

Even though we didn't see each other all the time there was a connection and understanding that we shared. Just knowing the other one was out there in the world, living a similar life, made it easier to get through the day. A random phone call here or there with a story of some crazy moment and a fit of laughter to make it all o.k. could describe our relationship.

Last year, to our dismay, they moved to San Diego. It was a great move for them, close to his parents and minutes from the beach but for us it was difficult. Mason every once in a while would tell me how much he missed Rasea. He was pretty much his best friend. Not being able to hop in the car to see him was more than upsetting.

Well, Southwest had a deal not too long ago and I bought two tickets for Mason and I to take a trip to see our friends. Mason almost jumped out of his skin with excitement when I told him we were going. Miles was going to have a daddy weekend and Mason and I were taking flight.

When he and I were at the airport and going through the security check I couldn't believe how grown up my baby was. He, without me having to tell him, took his backpack off and put it in a tub along with his tiger cub, and get this, his shoes! Can you tell we're no strangers to flying? I was amazed. He was such a big boy. Wanting to do it all himself and doing such a great job.

Our weekend was more than fun. We just hung out most of the time but being with good friends was something that we both needed. Mason and Rasea played Star Wars the ENTIRE time. O.K, with the WII in between. We went to the beach and the boys sand surfed, we played in the backyard and ate yummy food. Ryan opened a "pop-up" store in their town of Cardiff and I got to check out the location. The store has shut down and he's talking of opening another one in it's place. I took a few shots of Ryan in his space. It was a fun photo project while on vacation.

Our visit all in all was great, more than great. I hope we can see them again sooner than later. I have a feeling Mason and Rasea will be friends for a long time. They just "get" each other. Isn't that what it's all about? Making connections with people and sharing your life? I think so.

Khamla, Ryan, Rasea and Kade, thank you for an amazing weekend. We LOVE you!!!!!

Addie & Chelsie

Way back when, I was a part of the Discovery Workshop here in Marin. It was a photography workshop that Rick Chapman, Garrett Burdick, MeRa Koh and of course her husband Brian held for women looking to dive deeper into the world of photography and themselves.

I came in for a few hours on one of the days to talk about branding your business and to create vision boards with any of the women who were interested. Chelsie was one of the women who sat down with me and created the beginnings of a great vision board. At the end of the day she brought her mom over to meet me. It was clear that they were both passionate about photography, about making a change for their lives and their futures. They wanted to move in a direction that allowed their creativity to flow in a playful but meaningful way.

This process with Addie and Chelsie was really more of a journey than a job. We worked together to sort out the name of their business, the color story that worked for them as well as the logo itself. It truly was a discovery. Of self, of partnership and of the strength they had by themselves and together to take a leap of faith toward the unknown.

When creating the logo I wanted to be playful but natural. To design something that felt like a combination of mother and daughter yet would stand as a brand on its own.

I love that we came to the tree branch in the end. That when you put the back of the cards next to each other they form one bigger branch. The tans, browns and burgundy are so beautiful together and the curls of the branch add just the right touch of whimsy that I was going for.

Addie and Chelsie I wish you the best of luck with the launch of your business! I know great things are in store.

Star Of The Week

At Mason's school they have a program where one child from each class gets to be "star of the week". This means that each day they can bring in something to share. Toys, favorite books and photographs. In Mason's class whoever is the current "star" picks a name basically out of a hat to find out who the star is for the following week.

Two weeks ago Mason came running in the house on Friday after school to tell me that HE had been picked! He was SOOOOOO excited. We spent the weekend figuring out what he would bring and Matt printed up a bunch of photo's from birth to present day.

It was so interesting to see what he picked to share. His large bionicle riding a ship that shoots balls was of course on the list. Other items were three sand dollars, his alive cub, bugbot (that's for another post), his "Mater the Grater" book and his Bible.

We brought everything in a bag so that he was able to choose each day what he would share. The school has assembly every other week and at those assembly's the "Stars of the Week" are called up on stage to say their name and which class they're in. Mason's assembly was last Friday. It was so cute to see. I was able to snap a couple of photo's and take a short movie of the experience. One of his best friends at school who's in another Kindergarten class was star of the week too which made it even more fun.

Here are some photo's of his 15 minutes of Kindergarten fame. Oh, and when on stage they're asked if they want to say anything and of course Mason's hand popped right up. When the principal brought the microphone to Mason he shared that he had gone on vacation that week. His recent trip to San Diego to see his friend Rasea was a HUGE highlight and it was sweet to see him share his excitement.

Way to go Mason and just for the record, you're a star here at home every week!

Mason found Miles and Daddy in the audience...

Boys Will Be Boys

This past weekend the boys were invited to a birthday party for two of Mason's classmates. All of the boys from their class were invited along with a few friends. It was held at one of the birthday boys homes where there was a great backyard to run around and a jumpee house for entertainment.

I don't think we were there for more than 15 minutes before I noticed that my two boys had disappeared along with a few others. Then, I caught a glimpse, they were aiming right for me. Five of them descended the stairs, guns and swords in hand and started to fire.

This was the main source of play, for every single boy. For hours! It was amazing. I think the only thing that amazed me more than how happy they were pretending to fire at one another was the fact that there were enough weapons in the house for every boy! Crazy!!

I just had to post and share this because over the summer when we attended Matt's brother Paul's wedding, the boys had an outing for the "bachelor party". Some of you may recall, it was a gunslinging tour. Boys and guns. I mean really??!!

It was hysterical because Matt doesn't like guns, he doesn't encourage shooting at each other but when he came home from that trip, he was lit up. He couldn't stop talking about it and about how much fun he had. I would have to side on the "nature" end of things rather than the nurture side for this one. It seems to just be in the blood.

I mean, at home, we don't encourage shooting guns, we don't even have any toy guns and yet Mason and Miles still find ways to pretend to shoot at each other and us. They'll arm themselves with the toy drill or the toy hammer and of course, sticks! If there's a bend to a stick, forget it, it's instantly a weapon. Oh wait, I take the not having toy guns at home back. How could I forget about the 30 or so guns that are smaller than my finger nail. Thanks LEGO.

I'll let you in on a secret though. When I was little, my dad had an air gun and one of my favorite things to do was shoot that thing. He would put up a target against the garage door, load up the darts and place it in my hands. I have to admit, it was FUN! I remember going out to the woods one time and firing a "real" gun. There's something about holding so much power in the palm of your hands. It's exhilarating. I hate to admit it but it's true.

I know that girls don't usually show much interest in guns and honestly, I would have never thought to shoot one if my dad hadn't been into it but my boys have been shooting things for years. It just seems to be something boys do. They shoot. I definitely don't think they need to be exposed to violent tv shows or movies before an appropriate age, which is 35 if I had my way. They seem to somehow get exposed to guns and battles no matter how much you try to shelter them. There's plenty of time to see violence in the media. Why rush it?!

So, for now, we'll shield them as best we can and we'll try to set appropriate boundaries for when they do shoot at each other.

What more is there to say.....boys will be boys!

Here is Matt at his brother's Gunslinging Tour...

Here are Mason and Miles and the crazy group of boys...

How Miles wound up with the biggest gun of the group I have NO idea.

And here's Miles best friend. I had to toss her in. She's the perfect result of having a big brother!

Fresh - Changing The Way We Eat

"Americans fear only one thing...inconvenience." This was the statement that started the movie Fresh. I was fortunate enough to see it last night because some mothers from one of the local elementary schools had a viewing on their campus. They are trying to change the food system in the school and are thinking out of the box on how to do this.

The movie wasn't the doom and gloom outlook that so many other movies portray when talking about the food industry these days. Instead, it showed how sustainable farming is possible and beneficial for our communities and our world. There were clips from industrialized farms and interviews with farmers stuck in the system that we've created, but the true basis of the film showed successful farmers who haven't bought in to the standardization of food and who believe in mimicking nature as much as possible when growing crops and raising animals.

I find it sad that we've grown into a culture that puts money in front of health. That we have turned our attention away from what is happening to farmers and to the food we put into our bodies. That we would rather not know what it is that we're eating for convenience sake.

The monoculture environments that have been created for the production of food are not only unnatural but unhealthy. Because the animals are being raised indoors, without sunlight and deprived of exposure to other animals, disease is prevalent. To counter the exposure to disease they are fed a list of antibiotics and hormones. A list so long that the pages just scrolled in front of the camera.

I felt were there were two alarming facts shared in the movie. One was that the industrialized cattle who are herbivores by nature are fed meat. Not just dead cattle but at times diseased dead cattle which makes me say "no wonder diseases like mad cow showed up". The other point that was alarming was about the chickens. I've always known that the way they raise chickens is horribly wrong but this movie just clinched it. Not only are the chickens placed in an environment where they're standing on a product that has a warning label on the bag that says it's an eye and skin irritant and that you need to wash your hands immediately after coming in contact with it but they're given major hormones and antibiotics to speed the growth rate so that they are ready to be slaughtered in half the time they should be, just 4 months after they are hatched.

It is true that local organic food costs more but they're worth more. Cheaper food is nutritionally diminished. Key nutrients, vitamins and minerals have declined approximately 40% with the introduction of industrialization. You do get what you pay for, with food as much as anything else.

Every time we buy meat, poultry and fish we are making a choice. Every time we buy produce we are making a choice. What choice are you making? Are you buying grass fed, free range meat and poultry? Organic, pesticide free produce? What are you putting into your body and the bodies of your children. I know that not everyone can afford to eat organic all the time and I know that not every one lives in an area where they even have a choice for organic but I do know that if there is a will there is a way. As one of the farmers who started a local co-op of organic food stated in the movie, if everyone just spent $10 a week on organic food it would make an enormous impact.

Besides finding ways to support your local farmers, and this is something that I'm going to attempt, not eating meat for every meal will make a huge difference on both your health and the environment. I don't know if it's how I was raised or a product of our culture but I wind up cooking meat for dinner almost every night. Our bodies don't need that much meat and if I can introduce a vegetarian meal even twice a week I know that will be a change for the better.

I am a firm believer in "you are what you eat". I've always been drawn to fresh, healthy food. I can't say that I'm healthy 100% of the time. Oh, I can remember those days in college when I would buy a big bag of Dorito's and have "movie night". I would polish off the entire bag myself, down to the crumbs stuck in the corner of the bag. I still crave those horrible chips every now and again, but for the most part, I try to eat well, healthy, organic.

I loved what one person said in the movie, "part of our job as stewards of the earth is to respect the design of nature".

I hope that with more movies like Fresh being made and attention being brought to the industrialization of our food, more sustainable farms will succeed and bring healthy, organic food to our tables. I'm excited to find more restaurants buying local organic farmers market produce and meats. I'm excited to try to cook more seasonal food. I'm excited to feel better about what I'm putting in my body.

For anyone interested, HERE is a link to a chart of seasonal produce in Northern California. This is provided by the Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association.

Eat healthy, eat FRESH!

Miles Turned 3!

You're laying here at my feet. You're sucking your thumb. You're smiling and giggling and saying "mama, mama". It's kind of muffled because you're talking through your thumb and your Me which is wrapped all around you. This is the full size baby blue blanket that I had bought with different intentions. You had a small blanket that you wanted to take with you everywhere. We went to Oakland one day and on the way back to Marin, I realized I had left it at the store. We drove all the way back and luckily it was still there, waiting behind the counter because a nice person had picked it up. I vowed never to have that happen again so I bought a full size version to keep in your crib. That way if we ever lost the little one, you would always be able to go to sleep.

That blanket made it out of the crib one day. I think it was just supposed to come down stairs so you could have it while sitting on the couch. From that moment on, the "Little Me" just wouldn't do. The "Big Me" now goes everywhere with us. On long car trips, in the stroller and on the airplane. I can't imagine what we look like to normal people as we carry this HUGE blanket with us wherever we go. But we love you and it makes you happy so we endure the strange stares and awkward glances and we do try to wash it whenever we can since it's inevitably dragged across lawns and on street corners as we get in and out of the car.

You turned three on Sunday. The 17th of January. 3! It's such a strange passing of time. Someone the other day said that time passes slowly when you have your attention focused on something in particular but that it passes quickly when you don't. With all that goes on every day around here time just races past me like the cars on your Hot Wheels track that just keep zooming by. I looked down and you were nursing tucked all up in the sling. With me every moment of the day. I looked up and you're running off to go potty all by yourself.

You love to hide. It's your new favorite thing to do. You hide every night that daddy comes home. You'll just plop right down in the middle of the floor and have me wrap your Me around you. It's the BEST hiding spot. ;-) If you're not under your Me you're behind the armoire in the great room or under the covers of our bed. Those are pretty much the favorites. What I love most about "where's Miles?" is that it washes the memories of my childhood all over me. I used to hide every night when my daddy came home. It was our ritual too. It's weird and wonderful that you, on your own, do the same thing.

You love to jump and roll and tumble. You're taking gymnastics and loving it. You're great at listening and following directions and you're amazing on the trampoline! Your grandfather was great on the rings and the pommel horse. I wonder if you'll take after him.

You have a quirky and funny sense of humor that even at 3, really even at 2 makes us laugh so hard. Some people just have it and YOU have it!

You've been to the hospital three times. The last trip was because you cracked your head open on the bookcase. You jumped on to the beanbag and just slammed your forehead on the edge of the shelf. You still tell people about it. That you cracked it open. You're a bit fascinated by the whole thing and as much as I'm trying to minimize that scar, you may just have it forever.

I look at you sometimes and I see me as a little person in the world. Your body is the same as mine was when I was little and your eyes when you smile look just like mine. You tell me you love me. You tell me you love me as high as the moon and all the way back down. Your eyes sparkle when you smile and when I look at you my insides sparkle too.

Your "booty dance" is by FAR the best entertainment I've seen yet. I can't even tell you how much I love it. It isn't just how you shake your bottom or how you stick it out SO far but it's the arms! How you lift those elbows and squat your little self down and wiggle all at the same time. It. Is. The. Best!

We went to a play space for your birthday because when we asked what you wanted to do you said you wanted to jump in a pool of balls. Balls have been and continue to be your favorite thing. I loved that when we asked you who you wanted to invite, Mason, daddy and mommy were on the list.

Happy Birthday my little one. My little Miles who is growing up so fast. I love that I can still hold you in my arms. That I can still kiss you all over your face and neck and that it makes you giggle. I love that you can tell me what you're thinking and that I get a glimpse into what your mind is processing and that I can explore and share and learn with you.

Happy Birthday to you!

I love you to the moon and all the way down and all the way back...again.

Bride & Bloom - Featured!!

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. I can't believe that I haven't had a chance to run out to a magazine stand to pick up my own copy, but I'm hopefully going to do that today. FMN Design has been featured in another magazine! Happy dances are happening all over the place around here.

This time it's in the beautiful magazine of Bride & Bloom. It's their "Eco Issue" and I'm thrilled to be a part of it. Not only do I get to make peoples lives a little brighter by creating an album from a special event in their life, but now, I have the chance to do it in a way that's gentle on the environment. The Earth book does just this and you can read more about it HERE if you're interested.