Today, our lovely girl turns two and words seems insufficient to describe this little one and my love for her. She’s a happy child with a love of the spoken word and music and the feel of things, especially liquids…and this can get messy. She likes to laugh and play. She is strong-willed with a playful sense of mischief. She wants to do things on her own. She says “I do it. I do it,” even if she can’t yet and I hope this spirit finds her achieving many great things.

Here she is wearing a sweater my mom just finished knitting for her. Indeed she comes from a line of talented women.

Lila turns 2!

Found this preposterously wonderful video today on the Just Stuff I Find blog. Now here is a cool family project! Father son science! Camera in space! Here is a short news article (Time affiliated site).

Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

Summertime in the Northwest is busy busy busy as everyone milks the most out of long days, occasional warmth, and mostly consistent sunshine. This trip was the third camping weekend running! Humorously enough and in-keeping with our daddy/kid camping trip last year, we did manage to find a bit of precipitation as the rain began pitter-pattering on our tents some time during the night Saturday. Very glad it held off…the photos show some of the rather amazing light and clouds forming in the lee of mighty Baring Peak. This night owl stayed up for a bit more campfire and the full moon coming up over the ridge amidst more amazing cloud patterns in the sky. Magical.

It’s hard to get an idea of the vertical relief from lake to the looming summit above, but it’s nearly 4000′. What was even harder to believe is that this is a popular BASE jumping venue. On the way in we passed a group of about 6 or 7 jumpers packing out large packs and carrying helmets with cameras.

Just before dark we took the kids down to the west end of the lake to “the beach”. As we hiked the trail, we heard an alarming roar above the trees which scared the kids (or at least Dylan). Looking up, we just caught a glimpse of one parachute gliding east toward the meadows at the east end of the lake. We were pretty eager to witness this spectacle, but we had just missed it. Visions of bodies screaming, flying down that wall in a wingsuit pulling the chute 100 feet above the trees filled our heads as we gazed up the wall hoping for more jumpers. Alas, there were no more, and the evening settled down eventually as we watched a green heron land lakeside and bats consuming a feast of insects hatching from the water.

Marinate on this:

Baring Mountain BASE jump

I finally found it! Bevin and I loved this song as children. I sing it frequently to my kids and they love it, but could only remember the first verse and certain lines mashed up and combined with whatever I can invent for the second verse. But lo! there are not two but five verses. Will have to roll out the full debut tonight!

I believe the song is called “The Super-Supper March” by John Hamblin, but this is unconfirmned.

Hungry, hungry I am hungry
Table, table here I come
I could eat a goose-moose burger
Fifteen pickles and a purple plum

I could eat three bowls of goulash
Half a pound of wuzzled wheat
I could eat a peck of poobers
Then I’d really get to work and eat

Oysters, noodles, strawberry stroodles
French fries, fish hash, one red beet
Lamb chops, wham chops
Huckleberry mish mash
Oh, the things that I could eat

Doughnuts, dump-a-lings
Blueberry bump-a-lings
Chocolate mush-mash, super sweet
Clam stew, ham stew,
Water melon wush wush
Oh, the stuff that I could eat

Deep dish rhubarb, upside-down cake
I could eat a frittered flum
Hungry, hungry, I am starving
Table, table, here I come

John Hamblin

According to Wikepedia, John Hamblin is an Australian children’s television presenter and actor, best known for his role as a presenter on Play School from 1970 to 1999. He’s co-authored a book within the last few years, and on the back cover, it reads: “Wherever he went, whatever he was doing… John had a talent for attracting quirky situations, questionable associates — and always beautiful women!”