It appears that facebook has taken over. It's so much easier to upload photos there... so my poor blog hasn't received much attention since then I realize.
I was about to update photos, but honestly... where to start? It's been almost 2 year since I consistently uploaded photos on here... I feel awful.
I think I will attempt to write here more often, and make a scrapbook (even if it's the online kind) every year. Better get cracking on that!!
We just had a very lovely Christmas at home. Barbara and Richard came over on Christmas day when we were done opening gifts. The kids were truly spoiled. I made Tenzin a hobby donkey (because he asked for a wool donkey) and sewed a new stroller seat for Myla's doll stroller. Tenzin got a few lego sets, a science set, a CD player, loads of books, a magazine subscription... the list goes on. Myla got a lot of new wood play toys for her kitchen. She loves them. More books, slippers, Tenzin gave her a cardboard playhouse. I got a serger! It's wonderful! Tai got me some sewing magazines, AND I got a bubbly water machine! SO exciting! Tai got the nook color, and he is very happy about it!
We had our famous Swedish smorgasbord Christmas eve dinner (a few nights in a row)
We went up to find a little snow for Tenzin to do a little sledding. We will still have to go again, there wasn't much. We have spent two weeks mostly just at home enjoying Christmas music, decorating, baking... All my favorite things.
It was a very fun and cozy family Christmas.
The kids are growing quick. Myla is becoming less of a baby and more of a little girl everyday. This year I'll have a 3 year old and a 6 year old! I can't believe it!
They are so fun right now, SO busy, but so fun. Tenzin comes up with so many projects everyday. Many are food involved. Today he created roasted chestnut and nutmeg biscuits. Myla is enjoying drawing and reading a LOT.
This year we will have our wedding in Hawaii. It's exciting, but also a little overwhelming.
Last night I had a dream that it was our wedding day and I hadn't planned a thing. I still needed to find a dress and location- everything. Total nightmare!
Anyway, there is a really quick update. I will make good effort to blog more in the new year. The kids are just changing so quickly. It would be nice if they could look back and see this blog someday.
Looking forward to a wonderful 2011!!
Saturday, January 01, 2011
It's 2011! I better get caught up with blogging!!!
Oh What a Decade!
2000
* We all survived Y2K
* I move to Maui.
* I meet my Tai on a beach on Halloween.
* I am working as a nanny and watch Bush get elected with the family I am working for. The father in the family is happy. The mother and I are not.
2001
* I turn the legal drinking age for the third time due to excessive moving (Europe /Canada/USA)
* I am on an bike at the gym when I see the trade towers fall on a TV in front of me. I stop pedaling and watch them fall over and over in replays. I can not believe it.
* Tai and I plan our year long trip to Asia
2002
* Trip to Asia- India, Nepal (Annapurna circuit 30 day trek over 186 miles and a pass of 17,769 ft. most amazing travel experience to date. Tai asks me to marry him on the pass. We say we will get married someday) Off to Thailand and Indonesia. I volunteer as a tutor to a monk, teaching English to a school and working in an orphanage.
* We show up to a very quiet Bali after the bombing.
2003
* We move back to Seattle (Fremont) I start teaching and going to school to become a waldorf kindergarten teacher
* Iraq is invaded.
2004
* In June Tai asks me to marry him again in a Sushi restaurant in Seattle. I say Yes and we decide to get married August 2005.
* In July I get pregant and am due April 2005. Hold the dress, please pass the diapers.
* I move back to Maui to teach while Tai goes to Alaska on a short contract as a Fisheries observer. He returns when I’m 4 months pregnant.
* We move to the Big Island of Hawaii so that Tai can get a job in marine biology.
2005
* I give birth to my first baby boy on April 4th- Tenzin Kai. Born at home in Hawaii. He weighs 11lbs 3oz and it just amazing in every way.
* I graduate with baby in tow.
* Bush is sworn in for his second term as president. Seriously America? I’m devastated.
2006
* Tai’s Mom’s house burns down. A major tragedy. We are happy that everyone survived.
* We move to Vashon Island in Washington to be closer to family (no ocean between us)
* We prepare to open a preschool
2004
* We open our preschool- Roots and Wings
* I get pregnant with angel #2
* Senator Barack Obama of Illinois declares his candidacy for President
* Massachusetts becomes the first state to make it legal for same-sex couples to marry.
2008
* Myla Joy is born at a birth center in Seattle. She is perfect, beautiful and only 7lbs13oz.. Our family feels complete.
* Obama becomes the first black President of US. Hope is restored.
2009
* Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States in front of a crowd of more than one million.
* We move to Nevada City, California
2010
* I turn the big 3-0
* My little store Violet Sprout that I have been running on the side for a few years moves to an amazing location in downtown Grass Valley.
* House passes health care bill. We
* We move to Chico, California
And here we are. The new year started out well. Tenzin invented roasted chestnut and nutmeg biscuits.
Wishing everyone a very lovely year!
2000
* We all survived Y2K
* I move to Maui.
* I meet my Tai on a beach on Halloween.
* I am working as a nanny and watch Bush get elected with the family I am working for. The father in the family is happy. The mother and I are not.
2001
* I turn the legal drinking age for the third time due to excessive moving (Europe /Canada/USA)
* I am on an bike at the gym when I see the trade towers fall on a TV in front of me. I stop pedaling and watch them fall over and over in replays. I can not believe it.
* Tai and I plan our year long trip to Asia
2002
* Trip to Asia- India, Nepal (Annapurna circuit 30 day trek over 186 miles and a pass of 17,769 ft. most amazing travel experience to date. Tai asks me to marry him on the pass. We say we will get married someday) Off to Thailand and Indonesia. I volunteer as a tutor to a monk, teaching English to a school and working in an orphanage.
* We show up to a very quiet Bali after the bombing.
2003
* We move back to Seattle (Fremont) I start teaching and going to school to become a waldorf kindergarten teacher
* Iraq is invaded.
2004
* In June Tai asks me to marry him again in a Sushi restaurant in Seattle. I say Yes and we decide to get married August 2005.
* In July I get pregant and am due April 2005. Hold the dress, please pass the diapers.
* I move back to Maui to teach while Tai goes to Alaska on a short contract as a Fisheries observer. He returns when I’m 4 months pregnant.
* We move to the Big Island of Hawaii so that Tai can get a job in marine biology.
2005
* I give birth to my first baby boy on April 4th- Tenzin Kai. Born at home in Hawaii. He weighs 11lbs 3oz and it just amazing in every way.
* I graduate with baby in tow.
* Bush is sworn in for his second term as president. Seriously America? I’m devastated.
2006
* Tai’s Mom’s house burns down. A major tragedy. We are happy that everyone survived.
* We move to Vashon Island in Washington to be closer to family (no ocean between us)
* We prepare to open a preschool
2004
* We open our preschool- Roots and Wings
* I get pregnant with angel #2
* Senator Barack Obama of Illinois declares his candidacy for President
* Massachusetts becomes the first state to make it legal for same-sex couples to marry.
2008
* Myla Joy is born at a birth center in Seattle. She is perfect, beautiful and only 7lbs13oz.. Our family feels complete.
* Obama becomes the first black President of US. Hope is restored.
2009
* Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States in front of a crowd of more than one million.
* We move to Nevada City, California
2010
* I turn the big 3-0
* My little store Violet Sprout that I have been running on the side for a few years moves to an amazing location in downtown Grass Valley.
* House passes health care bill. We
* We move to Chico, California
And here we are. The new year started out well. Tenzin invented roasted chestnut and nutmeg biscuits.
Wishing everyone a very lovely year!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
At the end of the day
It's still dark when Tenzin yells from his room "I'm scared!" I look at the clock. 5:30.
"What are you scared of?" (long pause) "...Spiders" then I hear a smaller voice. "scared. spiders"
4 feet come running into our room. Myla jumps on top of me. Tenzin goes on the other side and complains that he doesn't have enough covers (even though when you cover him he will always immediately kick them all off) "I want to snuggle with Mama!" Tenzin nudges. "MY MAMA!" says Myla squeezing me. Tenzin tries to get closer and pulls some of my hair out with his elbow. "I'm hungry" Tenzin whines.
"Tenzin, it's still so early. Have a banana and we'll get up soon."
"I want eggs." with lots of wiggling and lots of whining, and a bare painful patch on my scalp I make peace with the fact that there is no more sleep to be had.
Breakfast is served and Myla screeches like perhaps there is a spider in her bowl. "Myla, what is it?"
"NO! I want tiny baby bowl!!" (Everything has to be "tiny" and "baby" right now. If it involves "kitty" it's even better.)
"Myla, that's the smallest bowl in the house, that IS the tiny baby bowl." (+ 10 minutes of crying)
Getting two kids out of the house in the morning is pure torture.
Making sure they don't look like ragga muffin urchins is almost impossible.
I have gotten really good at doing hair while running down the hall, although the pigtails are a little wabi sabi at times.
Getting kids dressed should be in the Olympics. Myla likes to throw a fit while I'm putting on her tights making the task of stuffing two chubby kicking legs into the twisty tight tubes even more of a challenge than it already is. They turn inside out, come off with the kicking, and then in a big kerfuffle she comes out looking pretty cute. Now she needs shoes... She wants to wear her pink fuzzy slippers or her sparkly pink princess shoes that I won't actually let her wear in public. How to convince her of these lovely sensible brown boots?
Meanwhile Tenzin has made it to the boxer brief stage, and is gloriously running around the living room and literally climbing the walls. (Rock walls. Brilliant idea...) More kerfuffle. Vitamins? Teeth brushed? Faces washed? Wait... did I eat breakfast?
I'll leave the middle of the day events for your imagination. Make sure to keep in mind dropping off, picking up, 3 loads of laundry, a triple batch of banana bread (with "help") sewing Halloween costumes and slippers, meals, snacks, crafts with kids and cleaning up after all of those activities....
Tai arrives to a seemingly calm household (oh little does he know.) Dinner actually goes off without a hitch. Tenzin announces that he has to go poop at the dinner table (which he has done on cue for 5 years running) and says "Myla, do you want to go poop too?"
"Yah, poop too!" Myla toddles down the hallway after him. Tai and I stare at each other like we just won the lottery. Oh my gosh, 5 minutes, maybe 7, we could have a whole conversation! We're 45 seconds into this blissful moment when I hear a scream. This was one of those serious screams that a mother panics about. I bolt down the hallway. It is so loud and high pitched and long that I was worried that Tenzin had seriously injured himself. Did he loose an extremity? Is there a giant scorpion? My mind raced with anything that could have possibly happened on the toilet in that 45 seconds. Once in the bathroom I couldn't see any blood. Just Tenzin standing up, his face bright red, tears streaming down, still screaming. "What is it Tenzin?!?" He can't talk, just scream.
"Tenzin, you have to tell me what it is so that I can help you."
"My yittle hat fell into the toilet" And there, in the toilet, was a little tiny viking helmet belonging to a little tiny toy that I have never even seen. Clearly this was an emergency. Next to that tiny helmet was a big poop. I quickly rescue this very important viking helmet, so that we could move on with the bath/book/bedtime kerfuffle that very much resembles the getting ready to go in the morning kerfuffle. Just trade tights for zip up jammies, and the car for beds and it's pretty much the same deal. Now there are two sweet little heads sleeping on two sweet little pillows. At the end of the day I sit here in a bed strewn with clothes that were once folded, but have since been turned into a launch pad. At the end of the day I remind myself that the days are long, but the years are short. Tomorrow may be quite similar to today, and somehow I look forward to it.
"What are you scared of?" (long pause) "...Spiders" then I hear a smaller voice. "scared. spiders"
4 feet come running into our room. Myla jumps on top of me. Tenzin goes on the other side and complains that he doesn't have enough covers (even though when you cover him he will always immediately kick them all off) "I want to snuggle with Mama!" Tenzin nudges. "MY MAMA!" says Myla squeezing me. Tenzin tries to get closer and pulls some of my hair out with his elbow. "I'm hungry" Tenzin whines.
"Tenzin, it's still so early. Have a banana and we'll get up soon."
"I want eggs." with lots of wiggling and lots of whining, and a bare painful patch on my scalp I make peace with the fact that there is no more sleep to be had.
Breakfast is served and Myla screeches like perhaps there is a spider in her bowl. "Myla, what is it?"
"NO! I want tiny baby bowl!!" (Everything has to be "tiny" and "baby" right now. If it involves "kitty" it's even better.)
"Myla, that's the smallest bowl in the house, that IS the tiny baby bowl." (+ 10 minutes of crying)
Getting two kids out of the house in the morning is pure torture.
Making sure they don't look like ragga muffin urchins is almost impossible.
I have gotten really good at doing hair while running down the hall, although the pigtails are a little wabi sabi at times.
Getting kids dressed should be in the Olympics. Myla likes to throw a fit while I'm putting on her tights making the task of stuffing two chubby kicking legs into the twisty tight tubes even more of a challenge than it already is. They turn inside out, come off with the kicking, and then in a big kerfuffle she comes out looking pretty cute. Now she needs shoes... She wants to wear her pink fuzzy slippers or her sparkly pink princess shoes that I won't actually let her wear in public. How to convince her of these lovely sensible brown boots?
Meanwhile Tenzin has made it to the boxer brief stage, and is gloriously running around the living room and literally climbing the walls. (Rock walls. Brilliant idea...) More kerfuffle. Vitamins? Teeth brushed? Faces washed? Wait... did I eat breakfast?
I'll leave the middle of the day events for your imagination. Make sure to keep in mind dropping off, picking up, 3 loads of laundry, a triple batch of banana bread (with "help") sewing Halloween costumes and slippers, meals, snacks, crafts with kids and cleaning up after all of those activities....
Tai arrives to a seemingly calm household (oh little does he know.) Dinner actually goes off without a hitch. Tenzin announces that he has to go poop at the dinner table (which he has done on cue for 5 years running) and says "Myla, do you want to go poop too?"
"Yah, poop too!" Myla toddles down the hallway after him. Tai and I stare at each other like we just won the lottery. Oh my gosh, 5 minutes, maybe 7, we could have a whole conversation! We're 45 seconds into this blissful moment when I hear a scream. This was one of those serious screams that a mother panics about. I bolt down the hallway. It is so loud and high pitched and long that I was worried that Tenzin had seriously injured himself. Did he loose an extremity? Is there a giant scorpion? My mind raced with anything that could have possibly happened on the toilet in that 45 seconds. Once in the bathroom I couldn't see any blood. Just Tenzin standing up, his face bright red, tears streaming down, still screaming. "What is it Tenzin?!?" He can't talk, just scream.
"Tenzin, you have to tell me what it is so that I can help you."
"My yittle hat fell into the toilet" And there, in the toilet, was a little tiny viking helmet belonging to a little tiny toy that I have never even seen. Clearly this was an emergency. Next to that tiny helmet was a big poop. I quickly rescue this very important viking helmet, so that we could move on with the bath/book/bedtime kerfuffle that very much resembles the getting ready to go in the morning kerfuffle. Just trade tights for zip up jammies, and the car for beds and it's pretty much the same deal. Now there are two sweet little heads sleeping on two sweet little pillows. At the end of the day I sit here in a bed strewn with clothes that were once folded, but have since been turned into a launch pad. At the end of the day I remind myself that the days are long, but the years are short. Tomorrow may be quite similar to today, and somehow I look forward to it.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Baby Shoes
No need to hide (them) in the closet any longer! I am fully admitting to my baby shoe addiction/obsession. "Hello, my name is Keri. I'm a baby shoe addict. I have been addicted to baby shoes for about 20 years, possibly longer."
It's just that they are so cute, and perfect and they are made for babies feet, which are also so cute and perfect! What is not to love?
Myla's first walking shoes
My first shoes
My Grandmother's shoes (worn by Myla. That's a whole other post!)
Mini flip flops picked out by Tenzin for Myla before she was born.
A few old handmade shoes... there have been since many more.
Some unusual ones
Made in Italy is always good. (or any foreign baby shoes for that matter) Vintage doesn't hurt either.... just saying...
Some current faves
A shoe drawer, and favorite place for Myla to play
These shoes are ready to (GASP!) find new homes.
So I do get rid of some baby shoes.
Isn't that the first baby step of the 12 step baby shoe addict program?
It's just that they are so cute, and perfect and they are made for babies feet, which are also so cute and perfect! What is not to love?
Myla's first walking shoes
My first shoes
My Grandmother's shoes (worn by Myla. That's a whole other post!)
Mini flip flops picked out by Tenzin for Myla before she was born.
A few old handmade shoes... there have been since many more.
Some unusual ones
Made in Italy is always good. (or any foreign baby shoes for that matter) Vintage doesn't hurt either.... just saying...
Some current faves
A shoe drawer, and favorite place for Myla to play
These shoes are ready to (GASP!) find new homes.
So I do get rid of some baby shoes.
Isn't that the first baby step of the 12 step baby shoe addict program?
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Returning from my "year off"
Woah, I'm back. Saying that I took a year off is a bit of a joke... How can you have a year off when you have kids?!
My last post was of Tenzin's 4th birthday! I have a lot of catching up to do!
Tenzin is now a 5 year old that is swimming and biking like crazy. Myla is 2, and is definitely 2! She is hilarious, demanding, feisty, and cute and sweet all at the same time! So what did you miss exactly in this year off? Well, we moved from our dear little Vashon Island to Northern California. We made the move in hopes of me getting some time off with my kids, and especially Myla, since she was a very busy toddler. I did get that time, which I am so thankful for! Tai started his web design business, and I started my little children's shop "Violet Sprout" Which has been a great success! Tai's business has been off and on, and we are feeling like the area we live in just isn't big enough for us to really thrive. So, another move for the Travis family! We are really hoping the next place will be just right! We're looking at Chico. Warm and sunny all year, a nice size, waldorf elementary and high school, but this good sized town needs a waldorf preschool! (enter the end of my year off!)
I am excited about starting up a school again, but at the same time the move and the thought of starting another school is quite intimidating! Moving with the kids is always hard...
Chico has a lot to offer, and I think we are really going to enjoy it!
Stay tuned for the move and more on Chico!
It's good to be back!
My last post was of Tenzin's 4th birthday! I have a lot of catching up to do!
Tenzin is now a 5 year old that is swimming and biking like crazy. Myla is 2, and is definitely 2! She is hilarious, demanding, feisty, and cute and sweet all at the same time! So what did you miss exactly in this year off? Well, we moved from our dear little Vashon Island to Northern California. We made the move in hopes of me getting some time off with my kids, and especially Myla, since she was a very busy toddler. I did get that time, which I am so thankful for! Tai started his web design business, and I started my little children's shop "Violet Sprout" Which has been a great success! Tai's business has been off and on, and we are feeling like the area we live in just isn't big enough for us to really thrive. So, another move for the Travis family! We are really hoping the next place will be just right! We're looking at Chico. Warm and sunny all year, a nice size, waldorf elementary and high school, but this good sized town needs a waldorf preschool! (enter the end of my year off!)
I am excited about starting up a school again, but at the same time the move and the thought of starting another school is quite intimidating! Moving with the kids is always hard...
Chico has a lot to offer, and I think we are really going to enjoy it!
Stay tuned for the move and more on Chico!
It's good to be back!
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Too tired to blog
As you can clearly see from my previous blog, really tired people shouldn't blog. It's a disaster. There are double photos, titles in wrong places, a mish mash of disconnected photos....
But I'm too tired to fix it.
But I'm too tired to fix it.
Tenzin's Sock Monkey Party
Tenzin's sock monkey party was a blast! With all his favorite monkey friends to make his day extra special! Happy birthday my little monkey!
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Thursday, April 09, 2009
Tenzin is 4!!! It's very hard to realize that my baby boy is 4 already... He's very happy to be 4. He loved his birthday and had SUCH a good one! We have a birthday tradition of putting as many balloons in his room as he is years old. We also put the birthday gifts in his room and set our alarm for 6 to wake him up singing with a candle. (Just like birth with noise and lights) But this year big Mr. 4 year old decided to foil our plan. He usually wakes up at 7:30, so by setting my clock for 6 I thought for sure I'd be up before him. He came in to our room at 5:30. Gifts had ALL been unwrapped. I didn't get to see him open one....
This included the sock monkey that I sewed for him and a sock monkey shirt that I sewed too... Oh well.
He had a fun sock monkey party where we decorated sock "creatures" played some games, had a sock monkey cake and played outside where there were monkeys hiding in the trees. Oh, and there was a bubble machine filling the yard with bubbles.
It was pretty fun!! I would say the party went perfectly, which is kind of hard to imagine. From there we had spring break so we had pop, grandma sue and GG stay with us for a few days, then we went to the city with them for 2 days. Tenzin had a good time swimming at the pool and hanging out with so many people that love to give him attention. Thanks you guys!
Well, cheers to a fabulous 4th year!
Happy Birthday Tenzin! We love you!
Bunny Teeth (almost...)
Myla cut another 2 teeth!! Her top right and left side tooth. JUST like her brother. For a little while it is a funny sight because it looks like they are missing a tooth.
She has been sitting up well for a while now and starting to reach so far forward that she's almost getting over. She really wants to crawl! She laughs and smiles a lot (mostly at her brother) She just had her first visit with her GG and loved riding on her motor chair with her! She pees on the potty just about every time we put her on, which is a lot!! She's very happy with herself!
She has been sitting up well for a while now and starting to reach so far forward that she's almost getting over. She really wants to crawl! She laughs and smiles a lot (mostly at her brother) She just had her first visit with her GG and loved riding on her motor chair with her! She pees on the potty just about every time we put her on, which is a lot!! She's very happy with herself!
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