Hmmmmm.....

I have no words....

RED

Today was sunny and chilly. We decided to soak up what is left of the autumn sun before the rain clouds move in for the next few months.

Amya Loves Play dough!

She sat at this table for about 20 min. (which is an eternity for Amya!) playing with this play dough. When she was all done, the colors were separated back into two colors. I choose to think that this is because Amya is going to be a very organized and neat! Please don't ruin this for me.

Girl Party!

While the adults watched the debate last night, the daughters jumped around on Mia's big girl bed. They did this for an hour and a half without stopping! From the living room, you could hear the uproar of giggles in waves. We all saw a glimpse into our future...the pajama parties to come...

Dan, Dan, The Windsurfing Man

...One More Picture...

Our friend, Michael, just sent me this photo from a couple weeks ago, so I thought I'd post it!

Green Home Tour

Dan, Amya and I went on a "Green Home Tour" this weekend. The houses all exemplified different techniques to cut down on green house emissions and energy saving designs. It was very inspiring! All the wood used in this house, including all the kitchen and bathroom cabinets, was reclaimed from an old loading dock nearby. The iron used for the chandelier, curtain holders and stair rail was reclaimed from a railroad track. The floor is stained concrete, so there is no need for wood, tile or carpet. The entire house was made from straw bale infill! Straw is a waste product from hay and virtually free! It insulates better than conventional homes and it is non-toxic, biodegradable and renewable to boot! This insulation combined with the clay in the walls acts as a thermal mass that retains heat in the house in the winter and absorbs heat in the summer, therefore needing very minimal indoor climate control year round.This is a peek-through to the straw-bale insulation.

These townhouses are powered with photovoltaic solar panels. Each unit needs an average of $40 a month of electricity from the power company, plus they have an amazing view of the river ! :)

In this house they are installing a masonry heater wood stove. Two hours of fire will heat the house for 24 hours! The insulation in this home is aerated autoclaved concrete block...it basically looks like styrofoam, but it is super energy efficient, fire resistant and moisture resistant. The house also has a rain water catchment cistern for landscape irrigation.

"Better not bigger" was one theme incorporated on the tour. Essentially, the smaller the space, the less energy used, the more cost efficient the property. There were many designs that incorporated multi functional uses and purposeful spaces, without sacrificing aesthetics.
Many of the houses had "living roofs." The structure was designed to hold the additional weight that a "garden" would add to a roof. A "living roof" helps keep the indoor temperature consistant, and reduces the amout of heat reflected back into the atmosphere.

This elevated shower was designed to catch the "grey water" for irrigation purposes.

The placement of windows and overhanging eves in this straw-bale house was designed to receive the most of the optimal winter sun and shade the harsh summer sunlight. The tiles on the roof were made from recycled car tires!
Amya just had fun running around in other people's houses!

Just An Ordinary Weekend

Amya played with blocks,
inspected a pumpkin up close, and did some spins in the livingroom.

It rained most of Saturday, but it is beautiful when it rains.

spam email (political)

So we've been getting alot of political Spam lately.....most of it goes straight to the trash folder....but today we got a forward from a good friend who asked us what we thought about this one......and this particliar forward struck a chord with me. Claimed to be written by Christians it actually makes up biblical quotes trying to describe Barack Obama as the anti Christ. Now, regardless of your political views, We all know it is wrong for anyone to purposefully claim the Bible says something that it does not in order to degregate someone. I looked it up and nowhere in the Bible did is say anything close to the quotes in this forward. It really dissapoints me when someone claiming to be a Christian would start something like that.

It goes both ways but it really goes to show, people will say anything to put the other guy in a bad light and you really can't beleive 99% of the email crap that is floating around....
By the way, if your interested in reading more about this one and dozens of other email rumors going around on boths sides, they're right here:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/antichrist.asp
-d

Story Time

Amya's Other Parents

Amya is in a new phase where she runs to somebody other than her parents for comfort. When we went to the farm last week, every time she got upset about something, she would run past Dan and I and into the arms of Michael or Shelly!!!

...Getting In Some Beach Time While We Still Can...

It has been a beautiful week, so we've been hanging outside as much as possible. We went down to the event site (where the windsurfers and kite boarders launch) and splashed around on Dan's board.It wasn't long before Amya decided she needed to get in.

Here she is filling her onsie with rocks, one of her favorite things to do.

Before And After

This is what Amya looked like shortly after we arrived.

This is what Amya looked like by the time we left!

Hanging Out At The Farm

"One happy, smiling Kailey for sale!"
Hugs
"Hurry! I got my apple, now let's make a run for it!"
"The one that got away was THIS big!"

Thank You, Aunt Cece!

For my new elephant outfit from Thailand! I made my trumpeting elephant noise the first hour I wore it!

Hanging Around

Happy Birthday Susu!

Hope you have a great day!!!!!

sleeping beauties

so amya sometimes sleeps in mommy and daddys bed when she isnt feeling well. This morning when i was getting ready for work, i snapped this quick shot....

"Elmo-Mia"

Amya got another cold this week, which for her means she has to sit through albuterol treatments several times a day, and be "contained" with limited action so she doesn't get wheezy. Cartoons, books and crayons go only so far. If anyone has any other calm quiet ideas, I would love to hear them. I had to take her to the grocery store yesterday and I got her some Elmo stickers to cheer her up. I put the name sticker on her shirt, like her name tag at story time. When I asked her if she was now "Elmo-Mia" she sat up straight, eyes open wide, mouth slightly ajar, and nodded slowly, delighting in her new hybrid persona. Then she yelled, "Again!"
So, I called her "Elmo-Mia" again. She looked around the store, as proud as proud can be, waiting for other shoppers to recognize her new found fame. "More?" She asked.
This scene reminded me of another little blondie in our family, 10 years ago. At this same age, Taylor had an affinity for all things princess. She would sit in the middle of our parent's living room, with a tiara on her head and bask in her own glow while her Uncle John would throw out random words and phrases...all things girlie, like, "Princesses and wands, castles and unicorns, rainbows with glitter." In between fluffy words, Taylor would wave her hands towards herself, letting him know she was not done imagining herself in this fairy tail land.
So, there is one other name I call Amya that elicits the same response, "Taylor Jr." !!!!! :)

when in Rome.....

So, the Columbia River Gorge (where we live) is often refered to as THE top windsurfing and kite boarding location in the world. The town of hoodriver (pop 6000) has atleast 5 windsurfing shops, and several windsurfing companies are located here. So, although, a little late in the season, I decided to give it a try. After borrowing Michael's gear a few time, I became hooked. Fortunatly, at the end of the season is when you can score really cheap used gear which I did...unfortunatly its much more advanced gear for a novice like me so the learning curve is pretty steep. Anyway heres a few pics of the new gear and of the "event site" where I've been practicing. I took Amya there for a walk and she spent the whole time watching kiteboarders and thowing rocks in the water. -dan

A Mild Obsession With A Nursery Rhyme

***Warning*** Long post follows --

We have an interesting problem in the Shaw household....we have to shield Amya from anything "Humpty Dumpty"!
It all started when she decided Humpty Dumpty was her new favorite book (a little board book that is part of a nursery rhyme series). We had to read it to her over and over and over..... Eventually, she started understanding that Humpty Dumpty gets a boo-boo and then the story ends! She would get very sad and start sniffling every time we got to that part of the story. So, Dan and I changed the end of the rhyme with a simple "but the butterflies could!" after the ominous ending, "All the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty together again!"
**note** In the last picture of the book, two butterflies are wrapping gauze around Humpty's cracked egg head.
Sometime later, Amya was watching some PBS cartoon where the characters get to change the ending of nursery rhymes with their powers of spelling and reading. Their challenge was to get a crying Humpty Dumpty off the wall without falling. Amya couldn't handle the suspense and drama. She started crying, then sobbing. I sat with her and explained that Humpty's friends were helping him, and he would be ok. She clapped at the end of the story like you do in the theater at the end of a great movie.
I began thinking that Amya was developing an unhealthy relationship with this nursery rhyme. But in an attempt not to be overprotective, I allowed her to watch the Sesame Street skit where they use Humpty Dumpty's clumsiness as a way to inspire kids to wear bike helmets. There was Humpty Dumpty, sitting on the wall. I could feel Amya's body tense up as she watched with baited breath. I whispered to her that when he falls, he will be ok because he is wearing his helmet. Then it happened. Humpty fell backwards off the wall. The shriek that came from my 19 month old's mouth could be heard at the end of the block! Amya screamed, with her arms stretched out as if attempting to catch Mr. Dumpty, until the end of the skit!
So, that's it! No more Humpty Dumpty allowed in this house!

Daddy Bear

So, Dan has been learning to windsurf! The water is chilly so he has to wear a wetsuit. When Amya saw him walk in wearing the wetsuit she pointed and giggled and said, "Bear!"