An Adana by any other name would still be as goofy! :)

I've been thinking about names today.  I don't know why.  Do I need a reason?  Specifically, I've been thinking about the names of people in my ward.

We've got the typical ones that you'd expect:  lots of Matts, Mikes, Brads, Katies

We've got 3 Julias, 2 Kennedys, 2 Haydens (1 boy and 1 girl)

We have 4 Emmas (2 of which, including mine, are in the same class)

We also have some cool, unique names:  Dax, Kjell (pron. Chell), Rex, Jules, Cash, Coltrane

Some virtuous names:  Grace, Hope, Charity

Quite a few from nature:  Rose, Lily, Daisy, Willow, Stone

Some awesome old-fashioned names:  Irene, Charlotte, Betty Jo, Wesley

And some international names:  Yeon-mi, Outi, ChunMing, Shi-oon

Then there are the names that always slip me up.

We have a Riley and a Rylan.  A Whitney and a Whitley.  Tiffany (3 syllables) and Tiffny (2 syllables).  Aubrey and Audrey.  Micah and Mikyn.

Yin and Jin are twin boys.  Thank goodness the merciful Lord gave Yin a mole on his right cheek.

There's also a man in the ward who goes by both John & Tom.  I've been in this ward for 6 1/2 years and I'm still confused about which to call him.

We have a Gordon Clark and a Clark Williams.  I always want to call them both Clark.

And so I fully empathize with everyone who constantly confuses me (Brooke Russell) with my friend Gretchen Brooks.  She is often asked questions meant for the Primary president, and the other day I had someone nagging me about arranging a baby shower for a gal that Gretchen visit teaches.  Happens all the time.

One thing I'm pretty sure about, though, is that nobody will ever confuse Adana.  She's definitely one of a kind!  :)

Instagram Update

Torah:  "Mommy, where kitty cat is??"  (Cue innocent face....)

This is the video I took just before the above picture.  

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
#coldbutnotraining

Adana declared (for all to hear) that you can tell a boy walrus by his long belly button.

Silly sisters.  They are such great friends.
#whentheyrenotmakingeachotherscream!

Adana declared today is Pajama Day.
Yes, she's going out in public like this.
#THAThomeschoolkid
#fosteringcreativity?
#orjustpickingmybattles?

Wiped out after her preschool Valentine's party.
Half that lollipop is stuck in her hair.

I CAN'T STOP taking pictures of her sleeping!
So precious.
#shesmellslikelaughterandhugs

Flowers & candy on Valentine's Day are lovely.
But don't ya think true love is spelled M-A-I-D?
Just sayin'.
#itsnottoolate
#theresalwaysMothersDay

School was CANCELLED today!!
#toosunnytobeinside
#OlympicMtns
#LONGwalk

Micah's Got Game

The boys needed $10 to buy snacks for seminary tomorrow.  I told them I'd give it to them, but first they had to do something for me.  Micah accepted the challenge. We were just getting in the car to head to the church (about 5 mins away). So I told Micah that I'd give them the $10 if he could spend the entire drive telling me how wonderful I am. :)

Here's what I heard on that drive:

"Your hair is so awesome even Shawn Spencer would be jealous of it."  (We're sort of huge Psych fans!)

"Your singing voice makes the doves fall dead from the sky out of jealousy."  (Really?!?  My voice killing birds is a compliment?)

"Your feet are the perfect size."  (This one was my favorite.  I made him promise that he'd try it out as a pick-up line some day & tell me how it worked. "Hey baby, has anyone ever told you that your feet are *wink* the perfect size?")

"Your fashion sense is a masterful combination of Hipster, retro & modern."  (Basically, my clothes are really old, except for my great new North Face jacket.)

"Your toothbrush is the perfect color, white.  Just like your teeth."  (He was really struggling by this point.)

"Your soul is so pure it makes the street look black in comparison."  (Ummm, Micah.  The street IS black.)

Luckily, at this point we arrived at the church and he was off the hook.  But I tell ya what, that boy's a charmer.  :)

Micah's a poet, and we didn't know it.

Our Family Night lesson tonight was on the Creation.  We played a little game that I'd used in Primary on Sunday.  It involved random activities in 5 different categories.   For example:  CHARADES of a "flower growing," SCULPTING a cactus, LISTING 3 things from nature that people make homes from, THINKING about why God gave us bees . . .  And then there was the WILD CARD category:  Sing a song about nature.  Make 7 animal sounds and have everyone guess what animal it is (chipmunk took us a while).  

And Micah's assignment:  Write a poem about God's creations.  Not one to settle for the obvious "Roses are red . . .," Micah quickly penned this beauty.

Dolphins live in the deep blue sea,

But they are mammals similar to you and me.

As we ponder the ways Jesus made the earth, 

Like eggs and birth, 

Be thankful for tulips, eagles and bees

And chocolate candies made in factories for See's!

Never a dull moment ...

I woke up this morning to the sound of splashing water.  I could tell it was coming from downstairs.  Based on the sound, my first thought was that one of my dorky kids was taking a shower with the door open.  That was followed (not nearly quickly enough, I'm embarrassed to admit) by the realization that we don't have a shower downstairs.  

I rushed downstairs to discover a rapidly growing lake emerging from my laundry room.  We're talking standing water, pouring out onto my beautiful newly-refinished wood floors.  

Don't judge me for the nasty lint that came flooding out from under the machines.
Spring cleaning is still 2 months away.

I frantically climbed up on the machines & turned the main water valves off.  No good.  The water was still GUSHING out.  I finally located the source of the water - a disconnected drain hose - and yanked it over to the sink to finish draining.

That's when this crappy event went from Bad to Not-So-Bad.  Nathan was out of town, so Emma ran upstairs to wake up the boys (she HAD to tell someone!).  Even though it was early on a Saturday morning, their one day to sleep in, they both came right downstairs and instantly got to work.  

They emptied out the shop vac and started vacuuming up all the water.  

They pulled the machines out and made sure everything was dry & clean.

Then they reattached the dumb hose, duct taping it in place (thanks to Brad who had stopped by and just happened to have some duct tape in his truck).

AND they started a load of all the towels which we had used to mop up the floor.

I am SO very very thankful for my amazing boys.

Dormant Ocean, revisited

I have a confession.  It has, perhaps, been noticed that I have been rather inattentive to this blog of late.  This isn't usually a notable situation; I've had occasional moments when I simply needed a brief hiatus from the demands of documenting my life, thoughts and observations on the world wide web.  However, I am coming forward to confess that there is a deeper underlying problem at work here.

I have a social media mistress.  (No, Michelle, not Facebook.)

About a year ago, I met Instagram.  And what started out as an innocent dabble with a new app has sort of turned into a full-blown love affair with this hot, little photo sharing phenomenon.  I am ashamed to admit that I now check Instagram every morning before I check my favorite blogs.  I hang my head in shame.

Because, well, here's the rub.  Instagram, I suspect, may not last.  It's cute and fun and all, but before long a newer, cuter, funner app will be here, and Instagram will go the way of Silly Bandz and Ralph Macchio.

So I am recommitting myself to my beloved Dormant Ocean.  (cue sappy music ...)  THIS is my creation.  THIS is my history.  THIS is my true social media love.

Since I hope to print out this blog someday into a book, I feel guilty that I have left out so many fun moments this past year because I posted them on Instagram instead.  So I'm also using this post to re-cap most of the images I have missed here.  Those of you who follow me on Instagram have already seen these.  If you don't follow me on Instagram, please do!  (Brooke8500 - If it isn't obvious from your user name who you are, please leave me a comment or send me an email, otherwise I may block you.)  And if, horror of horrors, you don't have a smart phone (Jenny) and can't use Instagram, never fear!  As part of my re-commitment to this blog, I will be posting my Instagram pictures here as well.  WooHoo!  (But seriously, go get yourself an iPhone so that I can text funny emoticons to you.)

If you're not familiar with how Instagram works, I basically post a picture, with the option of leaving a short note or description about it.  Then those how follow me view the pictures and can either "Like" the picture, or post a comment of their own.  These comments are often accompanied by clever (or not, as the case may be) emoticons and hashtags.  Hashtags are a #, followed by a string of words, no spaces.  I'm just going to post my pictures and original comments here; if you really want a laugh, you need to follow me on Instagram & read some of the funny follow-up comments that I've received.  

These are in chronological order, starting in Jan. 2012

Rain on Snow

Jared learning to pump gas

Torah's owie on her forehead

Dimpled baby hands

Micah bored, waiting for a fireside

Swimming for Spring Break!

Eating goldfish by the pool

My bathroom.  Sigh.

Adana's "pet" ant

Bainbridge takes State!!

Ohhhh, those dark eyes!

Don't smile!

There's a giant chicken butt outside my hotel window.

It's a sunroof sorta day.

First game of the fall season.  FOUR per weekend for the next 2 months.

Do not bother me. :(
The crayon is mightier than the sword!

Love fall!  Pumpkin pie for breakfast.

First date.

Homecoming 2012

I just searched the house looking for Torah.
She apparently put herself to bed.
Sweet girl.  :)

LOVE Seattle Children's Theater!

I love it when Micah gets the urge to cook dinner.

Sisters reading scriptures.

The Birthday Fairy strikes again!  #Torah #2yearsold

Happy Birthday to my sweet 2-year old!

Birthday girl at preschool.

First Princess dress-up experience.  She loved it!

I love watching soccer.

5 minutes in.  Dripping wet.

Training her young:  Taco Time is the best fast food!

Drying leaves for preschool.

Fever.

It doesn't matter how well I hide the Halloween candy bowl, I KEEP FINDING the dang thing!

Fever, day 3.

I hate it when only one side of my pencil will sharpen!  #petpeeves #iambored

Good morning sunshine!
#babymorningbreathsmellsgood #lovethathair

When Adana loads the dishwasher.  #rainbows

Trying to watch Jared's game (he's the blue speck guarding the goal for a corner kick).
#soccerinseattle #sittinginmycar

Prep for preschool tomorrow.  12 more pairs of turkey legs to glue on.

Poor 5th child has to take her nap in the car.

Hiding behind a chair, sucking down a tube of toothpaste.

Hello old friends.  I've missed you.

A rainy Saturday night.

What our pond is supposed to look like vs. how it looks today.

Family Game Night = Quelf
#Trippy #InsideJoke

Does anyone else eat the last (five) cookies in the jar with the undeniable logic that once they're gone, you won't be tempted to eat them anymore?

3rd annual Turkey Trot!  (Micah ran too, but he was at the front of the pack).

Thanksgiving dinner, part 2.  Novilhos Brazilian!

Even when she's sleeping, she insists on showing her fancy shoes.

Geesh, didn't I JUST get this crap put away from last year?

"Don't worry, Micah.  I'll hold your feet."

A Torah sandwich!
#TheseBoysAdoreHer #WrappedAroundHerFinger

Chillin' in the bathroom, reading an encyclopedia.
#gottalovehomeschool

Justin Bieber duck tape?!?
#10bucksaroll! #whobuysthiscrap?

FA-LA-LA-LA-LA, LA-LA, LA, LAAAAA!!!

Pizza/movie/popcorn/hot cocoa night
#namethatmovie

Seriously contemplating this for breakfast.
#iwilleathealthytomorrow

Pouty little princess.

Hansel & Gretel opera tonight.
#cravinggingerbread

Adana & King Tut's mummy.  It's a fake, same as her smile.
She was actually PO'd that the mummy wasn't real, but I made her smile for the picture.
#ripoff #havetogotoEgyptnow

Puddle stompin'
#purejoy #wannabeakidagain

A drive thru Bethlehem.  One of my favorite Christmas experiences.

Hyvaa Itsenaisyyspaiva!!
#HappyFinnishIndependenceDay

Master of the fine art of pouting.
#alwaysgetsherway

Click "Like" if you've ever eaten McDs in the Ace parking lot.
#lifeontheroc

Sent 12 times.

Pacific Science Center

Swimming on top of the world
#Sheraton #35thfloor

Gingerbread houses at the Sheraton
#familytradition

Happy Birthday Adana!
#baklavanotcake #coolest7yearoldever

FUDGE!!!!!!

First ever band concert.  Emma rocked the house!

Diaper bag for a day in Seattle.
#fudge #magicbars #smartfood #cokezero #candycanes #forgotdiapers

Watching A Christmas Story.
#Christmas Eve #tradition

This girl cracks me up!  Here's how I found her, chillin' in the kitchen.

Runny noses suck.

Total Bainbridge girl!
#ferryhat #BayHaysweatshirt #freezingatasoccergame

Adana has discovered email.  I get a dozen of these a day.
#fullofemoticons #ikeepeverysingleone

All set for Primary 2013
#IAmAChildOfGod #ilovePrimary

If I have to spend ONE MORE BLASTED MINUTE cleaning this stupid house, I'm going to explode!
#wantamaid #wanttoburnitdownandstartover

Apparently things really ARE bigger in Texas!
#totallyreal #shessovogue

Filling out his 1st official job application.
#suchagreatkid #stopgrowingupsofast

Evening nap

Mmmmmm ... Treehouse pizza!

A quiet evening stroll.  I LOVE walking.  Wish I could turn it into a job (that doesn't require picking up dog poop).
#whowillpaymetowalk #ortoeat #imreallygreatatboth

Thank you Pinterest!  Last minute dinner idea was easy, cheap, healthy & YUM!
How did our moms plan meals before the Internet?
#ohyeah #HamburgerHelper

Typical Friday night:  eat pizza, bath time "fun," countdown till bedtime.
#patheticallyoldanddull #2yearoldhasmorefun

Emma ran her first 5K today.  So proud of her!!  She did it in 38:17.
#newrunningbuddy #nothingbetterthanagoodrun

Oops.
#ItsAlive! #guesswhosebrilliantideathiswas #hint #Nathancooksonweekends

This baby girl LOVES her  big brother!
He pretty much adores her too.
#abi #wrappedaroundherfinger

WHAT could possible compel a mom to wake her sweet babe from such a deep sleep???
#Costco #dangblastedlongdrivetoSilverHell

Got "Heart Attacked" tonight by our sweet church girls!
Made me so happy!!

Playing "Baby Monster" last night.  Sheer terrifying delight!
#wheresBaba #dontlookinthecloset #AHHHHHHH

Baba said, "No! Not tonight" the first 78 times they begged him to go in the hot tub.
#suchasofty #thesegirlsknowit

Finals are over!!!
#muchneededdowntime

Have I mentioned that this girl can pout?
I told her to pick up the truck that she threw in the bathroom.
#yepsheisstickinghertongueatme

Parenting 101:  Teach your kids that it is BAD FORM to TP in the rain!
#solame

One down, 80Gajillion more of these dumb Teflon-coated circles to go.
#sorefingers #sogladgirlsdontdomeritbadges #cuzgirlsaretoosmartforthiscrap

Pajama Day at preschool!
#cutefriends #lovemyjob

Like father, like son.
#bothsupposedtobestudying

Spoiled little girl.  Doting big brother.
#bravebrother #sheiswearingpanties #notpottytrained

Play date with two potty training girls.  Obsessed with bodily functions & potty talk.
#worsethandeacons #myglamorouslife

Baby's got mad skilz!
#playsappswithherfeet

Spelunking in the shower.

Cowboy Day tomorrow.
#Levisareinthewash