strolling the stacks

Last night Beautiful and I went to the bookstore just to get out after putting the boys down. That is a huge benefit to living with others that we are lucky to take advantage of. We wandered isles and talked about covers making a slow meandering track through the colored rooms and multiple levels of Powell's. It was a wonderful treat that would have been made only slightly better by having any money to buy books. I say slightly better because the joy of wandering the book store, and especially Powell's is a real treat for Beautiful and I. We have that in common, that love of books and the conversations that this book or that one will bring up. There was a section of books in the lower room that had a connection with Northwest in some way and in that section was a book that I knew Beautiful would love. I pointed it out and she gave a passing glance and said "yeah nice." But she wasn't looking, if she were really looking, if she really saw the book she would take it from me and start to covet. The book was the one above, a cookbook from Mother's Bistro in Old Town Portland. This is Beautiful's favorite place to eat, where she takes visting friends to convince them to move here. The restaurant is her to a T from the decoration to the menu and the book I held in my hands was that entire experience with a sturdy binding. She finally saw, and snatched the book from my hand. She fingered through the toille pages and hearty comfort food recipes and she loved that book. We put it back on the shelf and continued our stroll talking about birthday presents and putting money aside for books. A cheap date, but I think we both had a great time.

P.S. If anyone needs an idea for a gift for Beautiful Click on the picture above.

Don't Worry Jesse!

When we head back to Portland and move in with Jesse and Carly we are going to be splitting up the cooking duties, with each person getting a night and each couple getting a night and then one leftover/take-out night. This ad comes to mind when I think of Jesse cooking!

Baking with the babies

Yesterday Kate made some cookies with the help of Finn and Jake. Finn helped a little and Jake mostly chewed up the box that the Vanilla extract bottle was in but everyone has their role to play. We had the iPod going through the home stereo system and with a number of 80's dance tunes, some butterscotch chips, and a lot of flour we all had a pretty great time. Henry slept through the whole thing in his baby cage oblivious to the dancing, baking, all around mess making. It was one of those times when the iPod is on shuffle and it keeps finding the right songs to keep the party going. Finn was up on a stool "shimming like his momma Kate" and Jake was bouncing to the beat on the floor. things have been a lot easier around here lately. Jake is finding his rhythm going from the only child to the middle child in a matter of days. Those are powerful family dynamics at work and he is adjusting well. He was a little spoiled by his two Grammy's but that is what Grammy's are for right. It is a tough adjustment going from the center of the universe to one of three. We have been giving Jake a lot of one on one time with both Kate and I so that he still gets to be the center for a bit each day. His laugh is infectious and rewarding and he holds on to you like a spider monkey. After his nap yesterday we layed on the couch and he just layed his head on my chest for a couple of minutes as he was waking up and scrunched his fingers on my arm. Henry did this too when i got him up a couple minutes later and I was acutely aware of how lucky i was to get to be here with these boys. We are doing well, having fun and learning each day how to manage the inevitable melt downs. I say we but it is really Kate, she is amazing with the boys. You read her rants on her blog and that is all true and part of it, but it is only part. It's the funnier parts that make for easy writing, but there are parts where she is Athena, Goddess of Wisdom. Moving deftly between the hungry boys knowing who needs what and how to give it to them without the mess that Scott or I make. Or she is Hestia, Goddess of the hearth and home managing 3 baby boys, 2 bigger boys, and 2 boy cats with grace. She is good at this domestic stuff even though she would say it is not for her. I think that is the great thing about this time here so far, when we switch again and I come home with the boys and she goes in the work force it won't be because it is too hard for her or because I could do this any better (I couldn't by the way, not by a long shot). It will be because that is the choice we make, that is the way we want it to be.