24 Things to Do in Chico

24. Haul a herd of kids to Caper Acres and make them pose for the traditional Humpty Dumpty Wall Picture. Then decide to publish ONLY the most ridiculous one. (Is he an egg or a 1970's used car salesman? It's really hard to tell.)

23. Take a leisurely jog through Bidwell Park with your two kids packed into a single stroller and a bike across the top. Ha.

22. Loosen up on the rules and let your kids play video games (!! I know!!) with the big kids.

21. Visit the Chico Farmers' Market. Marvel at the low prices and the long growing season. Buy a bag of peaches and some tamales for lunch. Pick up a half flat of organic strawberries for only $12 to make freezer jam with your cousin. Kick yourself the entire drive home to Oregon for not buying a flat of those incredibly juicy organic peaches that could have been yours for $2 a pound.

20. Teach your cousin how to make freezer jam. Maybe this will make up for the fact that YOU FORGOT THE WEDDING PRESENT. Maybe.

19. Drive by Bidwell Mansion. Fondly recall the time you got dragged along on the tour as a child. Lament California's economic woes when you hear it is closing for good.

18. Get a "triple thick" milkshake from Big Al's. If you really want to sound like a tourist, accidentally call it Crazy Dan's. I recommend the chocolate.

17. Go to the local Winco Foods and become enthralled by the cleanliness and friendly people who work there. Eat free samples of a granola bar. Ogle the bulk foods. Admire the bakery. Cringe when you think of your own ghetto Winco back home.

(It should be noted that while visiting a grocery store as a tourist destination might seem strange to some, it is a known practice in my family. My uncle Bill always visits the local Costco when he travels. So there. Totally normal.)

16. Listen to classic rock. Why? Because in Chico you listen to classic rock. That's just the way it is.

15. Drink a vodka Crystal Light juice cocktail at five o'clock, following a longstanding Deinema tradition that I'm quite certain will endure. Why Crystal Light? Again, that's just how it is.

14. Eat shredded chicken tacos made by my uncle Jeff. Or if you are Brent, eat six tacos and then become self conscious about eating so many tacos that you then consider stealing a bowl of shredded chicken from the refrigerator and hiding out in the garage.

13. Drink the local beer.

12. Stock up on pistachios. In Chico the pistachios are BIGGER and EASIER TO OPEN!

11. Visit the brewery!

10. Oregon! REPRESENT!

9. But when you sign up for the tour, make sure you read the fine print. If you are not there ten minutes early, you lose your spot. We learned this the hard way and some members of our party had to stay behind and wait for us in the bar. Poor things.

8. Also, take them seriously when they warn you over and over again that there will be NO RESTROOMS AVAILABLE while on the tour. The 90 minute tour. That's a lot of minutes when you really have to pee.

(You might be able to sweet talk the tour guide into letting you through the secret restroom access passageway. Then it's on to the tasting room!)

7. Drink many, many little beers and enjoy the company of cousins you don't see often enough.

6. Bask in the sunshine, dive into the pool, appreciate the novelty of 90 degree days knowing full well that it's cold and raining back home in Eugene.

5. Pick up some mafiosos to take along to your cousin's wedding reception.

4. Watch them broker some shady deals with a crime boss. Note the cigar.

3. Eat, drink, and be merry.

2. Pose in your party dress.

(You see that invisible zipper? Oh no you don't. 'Cause it's invisible! Can I get a booyah?)

1. And then sit back and watch as your favorite cousin finds happily ever after.

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Home Sweet Home

Where do I even begin? I have about about fifty photos and just a few words because, hey, it's summertime and I have better things to do than sit around on the computer. Also, you have better things to do than sit around and read more than just a few words, am I right?

Look what came out of our garden!

And Jack's been at the sewing machine again. He made a mini Snoopy pillow for Sawyer because suddenly the kids have decided that they like each other. DID YOU HEAR THAT? They LIKE each other! It's amazing. You said it would happen and it finally did.

Do you see his thumb? This is what happens when thumbsuckers eat markers. (What are we going to do with this kid?)

We've spent these warm and sunny afternoons lounging around by the pool in the front yard, sharing popsicles and big bowls of popcorn with our friends and soaking in the summertime.

And we also roadtripped up to Portland to hang with our friends Peter and Simon. No sense in wasting water, is there?

On Wednesdays I get to be a soccer mom. It's more fun than it sounds, I assure you.

The veggie leftovers from the farm have been plentiful. Jack is totally into helping in the kitchen and so I put him to work for me. He grated and bagged up a big old bunch of zucchini for the freezer. He also helped me pack up a flat of tomatoes. This summer I have seen a side of him that inspires me as a mother. This summer I have seen Jack as the real person he has become, not just my kid. What I see is pretty amazing.

We are reading The Mouse and the Motorcycle. We sit on the deck in the afternoon shade and sip cool drinks. He always begs for just one more chapter and I always say yes.

And I've been sewing. This is Sawyer's new sunhat which he has steadfastly refused to model until I caught him unawares in his blueberry picking delirium.

As you can see there are lots of green berries left on the bushes. We picked 20 pounds this time, but we will be going back for more soon. Much, much more.

And we got our first egg from Daisy! It was the tiniest, daintiest little egg I'd ever seen and she's given us one each day since. It was Jack's idea to compare it to the blueberry for perspective. He is a budding photographer, I think.

This picture was taken just before Lulu jumped up on the table and ate her weight in blueberries while Jack and I were in the other room.

Sawyer discovered his beloved blanky in the washing machine and held a one-man sit in to protest. He calls it "mine bunky" and DOES NOT appreciate laundry day.

Afternoons at the lake...

I'm so glad summer finally came.

Remember when I told you about my dress? Well, I finally finished it, invisible zipper and all. Yeah, that's right, I said invisible zipper. Booyah! (Yeah, that's right, I said booyah.)

I also refused to be intimidated by collars and buttonholes any longer and made the boys some button up shirts.

No one will ever pose for me. Ever.

And now we head to California for my cousin's wedding and a long weekend of pools and parties and family and food and staying up way past your bedtime and all of those other magical summertime things that you remember from being a kid.

And that is that.

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