the world according to ruby bird

Hike to a Waterfall!

2009-07-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Ruby had a blast playing with friends. She went swimming on Saturday with our friend Jenny at a popular fountain downtown (pics to come), and on Sunday she hung out most of the day with Andrew and his family - and they went hiking!
It was 2 miles, one in and one out, with a waterfall and a stream in the middle. Perfect for insane parents who want to hike and take THREE kids with them.
Look how much fun they had!

It's pajama day for Rubes. Again. Woo!

Chillin' by the stream, throwing rocks, wading...

Helping Camille keep up with the big kids.

This was apparently a VERY difficult shot to get. They took turns being uncooperative for the photographer...

Investigating.

Thanks to J & D for their help! And Jenny, too! sending love.

The Big Slide!

2009-06-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

i'm a dork and held the camera sideways, please forgive me.

let me try some video....

2009-06-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

It's raining - you can see it in the water. We had wonderful hot weather except last Saturday, so we stayed home and "swam" in the hot tub. It was great!

Swimming & Sleeping

2009-06-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

Just back from a trip to visit Oma & Opa in Kansas! Hot Hot Hot. What's a bird to do, but swim and sleep, right? And have "special drinks" with Opa while watching the US Open. And play the matching game. And meet an adorable little 6 month old!

In the hot tub at Oma & Opas house.

Thinking about jumping.

Jumping!

So proud and happy.

And tired....

Tired, again....

Playing her matching game, while having a "special drink" - also known as a shirley temple.

In a fancy glass, no less!

A little friend we finally got to meet. So cute!
sending love to you all...

June is Bustin' out blah blah blah!

2009-06-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

Well, we've been absent a while, haven't we? Let's get to it.

here's the little lady, holdin' the mic. i can't wait to hear what she has to say when she's old enough to hold court....we were at Farm Sanctuary in CA, after her Dad rode 600 miles to get there!

Dancing at the hoedown with her new friend, Justin. They hit it off! It was a blast!

Celebrating 600 miles with daddy! And some ice cream...

Riding one of the last miles...on Black Butte Road outside of Orland, CA.

Somewhere along the Oregon coast. Beautiful.

Our yurt in Southern Oregon, near a town called Brookings.

Riding bikes on the beach.

More riding....

Here he is, Mr. Hooten, pedaling, pedaling, pedaling...

A really big shark. I mean, rock. The Southern Oregon coast is amazing!

See?

Holding up the clouds.

And he's off! This was moments before he left.

Wishing him off with big love.

Finally, the kid likes bubble baths!
xxooxoxoxox

Lots of Sleeping and Goofing Around

2009-03-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

Ruby has a bad cough and cold this week, so a nap in the yard was in order.

In her coat Grammy made! THANKS GRAMMY!

They were tired after a big day playing.....

Self-tattooing. Her first belly piece.

What we see in the mornibg when we wake her for playschool.

Wearing only a grass skirt...means you dance on the couch!

This girl loves her dog.
and we all send love to you!

Ballet Class

2009-03-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hello my good people. Enjoy some pictures of our life in this slow to warm spring. And take a moment to leave a comment if you will - I have no idea if anyone is looking at this anymore...as always, we're sending love!

Waiting for her turn at class. Oma got her a ballet outfit for her birthday....lots of twirling going on.

Stretching and doing butterfly legs.

Twirling!

First position.

Preparing for a running twirl.

In action.

More action.

It's not all dance and twirl around here. There are books to be read, in the bathroom, to the dog and her imaginary class of attentive students.

"I can't read if you're talking," she says. That is one chatty baby in the stroller!

She shows the pictures, too.

George needed some covers.

Hanging out with Felix - talking on the phone to her dad.

xooxoxxoxoxoxoxoxo

Love and the 80s

2009-02-28T07:57:00.000-08:00

This one isn't from V-day and it doesn't have an 80s flair...but dang if she isn't serious about those glasses.

Last night Ms. Ruby was sorting through her "hair pretties", wearing several, dangling bracelets, and sporting her "daddy shirt" as she calls it, b/c it has a picture of a bike on it. The checkers and the plastic bracelets are SO 80s, I feel like I'm back in high school.

Doesn't everybody make heart shaped pizza on Valentines Day? We LOVE pizza!

Look at these girls and their pizza! All smiles, ready to devour.

But first, the candy had to be consumed dramatically.

Love love love!

Behold: A Gigantic Bunch of Pics!

2009-02-09T22:21:00.000-08:00

Yowza. Lots of time has passed, so let's get straight to the goods. We've had some cold weather, and some sunny and slightly warm days that have fortified us to make it through the winter. Behold - January 12, Josh's birthday. We rode bikes! Dang - who'd a thunk it?

Ruby likes her daddy's fixie.

Get thee helmet on!

Riding on mama's tail!

See how we do it?

Chillin' with the president, Barack. Turns out he was in Florida same time as us!

Rubes found time to play at parks whenever she could. Loves it!

She's got bling on her bum!

Rubes & Grammie know how to have fun. Here they are, heading to the park in the golf cart!

Bathing in Florida.

A dream come true. A real child in her stroller! Here we have Andrew & his little sis, Camille. She is a tiny nugget of love. Almost one year - and a whole 13 pounds! Petite, you might say?

I wonder who this cake belongs to? Of course, her dad did the decorating.

Birthday fun with Andrew & Felix. It was so fun!

Googly eyes!

Our little ballet dancer! Classes start next Saturday!!
sending our love!

Dog Pizza & Bunnies over for dinner

2009-01-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

Last week we had great friends over for dinner. We made our favorite pizza - Isa Pizza - and the creator/namesake of the recipe was in attendance, as well as her partner and our resident kitchen-builder/Ruby's boyfriend, Justin. Also gracing our table is HB, who works with us at Herbivore and is quite possibly the most wonderful gal walking the earth, as well as our new friend Emily, who brought a fun bunny nose that we all tried on:

Justin Bunny

Emily Bunny, wait! Emily rat!

Isa-Supermodel Bunny

Heather Ballet Bunny

And of course, Ruby Bunny, the cutest of all!

Ruby knew we were making pizza, so all day she talked about how she wanted "dog pizza" - as in, shaped like a dog. Of course, her dad can make just about anything happen. Look at how George-like the pizza is! She got very upset when I cut it so she could eat.

Proof that it indeed looked like George.

Adios!

Big girl ballet & a new bedroom!

2009-01-01T08:33:00.000-08:00

Ruby finally moved downstairs to simplify our lives and encourage good sleep. Our home office/junk room is gone and the paint has been made girly and it is the best room in the house! Evidence ensues.

All of her friends were on the bed with her...

One corner...

Viola! A Pink Masterpiece!

An evening of loving the dog. Thought this one was particularly truthful as to how George spends most of his time. :)

And finally....We were gifted with tickets to see Balanchines The Nutcracker this year...and Ruby LOVED it. Ballet is likely in our future. Check her out!
xoxoxo

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T15:38:00.001-08:00

We wish everyone a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hannukkah or whatever combo you celebrate! Here's hoping these recent days are full of love, laughs and family. xo
On to the show!

In case you didn't hear...weather has been crazy here in Portland! Not what we *thought* we signed up for when we left Chicago...but it's awful fun to get snowed in every few years. Our deck accumulated quite a few feet of the white stuff!

Water colors turned into finger painting...lots of days where it was PJs all day, with a grass skirt thrown in for good measure.

Our lovely snow-bound street.

Waiting for the bus to take us home after Ruby's first performance of The Nutcracker! She loved it, was patient and quiet and a star. We had a great time getting out of the house and into the world using our crippled transit system and lots of trumping through snow.

All decked out to stay warm.

The old man kept falling through the icy snow, and couldn't find the right spot to go. It was about a foot deep in our backyard in this shot.

Bundled!

Don't mind the mess, but here's a shot from our NEW KITCHEN! Better photos to come, but a wall was torn down and an old kitchen destroyed to bring us a fantastic new and spacious cooking room! YAY!

Ruby Bird and Andrew, our friend and neighbor. We had gone out for a hot chocolate at a bakery around the corner.

Here we are in Kansas, early December. The KS sunsets are the best.

Rubes riding the cop car at Jerry Ivy Park.

Playing "soccer" in the cul-de-sac.

Tired in Oma's arms....

Who cares if it's 20 degrees? Bikes must be ridden!

Some serious static electricity at my old friend Brad's house. The dry Kansas air was upon us.

Ruby the activista! Fur Free Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is a tradition for us. A celebratory protest in the streets of downtown Portland. She was big enough to carry her own sign this year.

Kitty Ruby says she loves you.

What, us again so soon?

2008-11-29T08:04:00.000-08:00

Ruby likes to push herself in the stroller, even. This child is a pusher - still!

She loves her friend Ickix, Fifi, Felix. She now knows she's a big girl, older than Felix. She kind of bosses her, in a loving way.

The bath after a big night of playing and pizza eating.

Pizza eating! and Salad!

Homemade pizza, dough and all. Tofu ricotta, kalamata olives. They loved it!

I wanted to share with you her most crooked toe. Crooked!

Sometimes she asks me to turn off the sun. We got her these, instead.

We even gave her candy on our trip home from CA. She picked this taffy-esque stuff that happens to be vegan. "look at my tongue!"

Take good care out there people.
xo

Oh Happy Day!

2008-11-27T13:41:00.001-08:00

Hello! We just got back from a super-fantastico weekend trip to Orland, CA to visit Farm Sanctuary. Josh was invited to speak at their Thanksgiving FOR the turkeys, where we fed the turkeys instead of eating them. It was a perfect trip in every way! Josh's talk was about activism and doing it "your way" and it was very well-received. I am so proud of him. The weather was beautiful, the people were so much fun, and the animals were just the connection we needed to fuel ourselves up to keep on helping. Enjoy! We're sending much love.

Ruby and I with Whitaker, a calf found abandoned on the side of a road in CA. They think he fell off a truck.

After the festivities we make dinner for friends who work at the farm. Here are the goofballs!

Everybody was giving Whitaker big love. He was only slightly larger than George (our dog) and was still drinking milk from a bottle.

If there is a wheeled item around, Ruby will find it and get a ride.

The pigs were some of Ruby's favorites. We fed them leftovers from the turkey's party (keep reading!)

This guy is smiling - he's got it good.

Here's Ruby with Emily Deschanel, star of the TV show Bones. She was the celebrity guest, Josh was the activist guest. She was super nice and Ruby of course made friends.

Why don't we live in California?

Mr. Josh, talking to the people. The sign above him says, "If you love animals, you're in good company!"

Here's Big Rubes, feeding the turkeys! We made pumpkin pies (just canned pumpkin in a tin) and stuff squash with stuffing and chopped up fruits and veggies, and they go crazy! The turkeys are so soft and gentle, even if they peck at you to get a taste it doesn't hurt. They like to be scratched by their bums, under their feathers - they lean into it just like a dog!

Ruby was protecting this gal's take of the food.

Pie for turkeys!

More to come soon, xoxoxoxoxoxoxoox

Ruby in the eyes of others

2008-11-13T17:15:00.001-08:00

Here's a walk down memory lane for you...

And since I want to post more pictures for you all - but I haven't gotten my act together to get pics off our camera....I'll steal some shots of her that others have taken.
Thanks to Katie & Isa for these!
xo

Ruby at Isa's -- that's Fizzle the cat peeking at you.

Just last week, again at Isa's -- always the helper she is!

Goings on lately...

2008-11-06T14:37:00.000-08:00

Ruby helped me paint the dining room this past weekend while Josh was out of town. It was his surprise when he got home.

Here's the bird, all smiley for you. And the pumpkin patch with our friend Andrew! So much fun lately.

XO
over & out

Since August....

2008-10-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

We went campling with our friends Isa & Justin - at Mt. Hood. Slept by a mountain stream....it was so fun!

Somebody likes the bath. And somebody gave her a mohawk....

Ruby Loves hair pretties now.

This is a photo from Josh's trip to NY to speak at Farm Sanctuary. Next you see him with a baby pig! This pig was rescued from the Iowa floods.

Did you know pigs are smarter than dogs?
xoxoxox more soon!

We are living the LIFE out here, people!

2008-08-03T22:04:00.000-07:00

Check us out. We live it up party-style just about every day in the summer. Yay, sunshine!

There is a lot of fun to be had at the beach. Even if it's too cool for the bathin' suit -- we don't care. We just follow our instincts, which usually wind up getting wet.

Oregon beaches (Manzanita, here) are quite varied. Sometimes rocky, sometimes crazy surf, Manzanita is 7 miles of sand sand sand. It's awesome.

How many times a day does Ruby just leap for joy?

She'll make friends with just about any animal out there. These two little troublemakers were too cute - and she was playing ball with them within a minute of our "formal" introduction.

An evening at home with Ickix. They were dining on vegan mac-n-cheese with brocci (broccoli). Ruby ate two bowlfuls, pasta, leaves, brocci trunks and all.

Check her out! Icky learned how to use a fork and spoon from watching Ruby.

Tearing it up at the beach!

This one appears to be a dance for joy. We watched her for hours. No exaggeration.

Planted in the sand.

Back at home in the yard. Isa and Justin over to make homemade pasta sauce, chillin' with Justin while mommy and Isa cooked. Ruby is the president of the Justin fan club.

Getting caught looking cute, again!

Ever made homemade pasta sauce? Well, if you have hours at home where you can intermittently tend a pot, and want to taste something totally phenomenal, try it out. This sauce may look like mushed tomatos, but it tastes like heaven. Not that mushed tomatos shouldn't taste like heaven, but it's deceptive... and thanks Isa for the pics.

Sending more love!

Grammy & Grampa Came to Visit!

2008-07-24T18:04:00.000-07:00

Grammy and Gramps from Florida came to visit last week. Much fun was had at the Highland Games. Here's our little bird, who zonked out in a shady spot in the middle of it all while listening to some fiddlers.

Sporting some really darn cute hair...

Throwing stones at the Highland Games. The stones didn't go very far - 8 pounds is heavy for a 3 year old, it's a quarter of her weight!

The log toss (can't remember the technical name) wasn't much easier. She got by with a little help from her friends....

Her brute strength shone through on this one - carrying heavy bottles across a field. She rocked it!

We were watching the dancers and she needed some shades....mine!

Sending love!

Dresses

2008-07-15T14:52:00.001-07:00

Ruby and Felix dancing in circles....

It has begun. The little girl likes dresses!
thank you to Isa and No Whey Katie for these pics.
xoxoxoxo

Tornados, bikes and a stinking lily

2008-07-01T13:08:00.001-07:00

Here's a flurry of summer photos to get you by! We just traveled to Kansas for my 20th high school reunion.... saw my whole family!! Saw my best friend and her family! Saw some crazy weather and then came home to a stinking flower. Literally. Planted in my yard, it smelled like rotten food or a dead something....NOT pleasant. Look for yourself!

How does the song go? Dancing in the street? Here we were with my bro and his little boy and a friend, dancing on Massachusetts Street in Lawrence, KS. The street was closed for repaving, no worries.

Before we left, George apparently needed a haircut while he napped with the baby doll. Luckily, there was a hula dancer available who just happened to have some scissors in her hand.

Ruby found an alternative way to wear a hoody, and to pass time in a car.

Coronado Heights, KS!

The Stinking Lily!

Ruby participated in Sunday Parkways, where the city closed down miles of streets for cyclists. She rode about 3/4 of a mile and back! In her jammies, no less. That's my girl.

Bikes are fun!

Gonna pass you, sucka...

Under the Kansas skies, the storm clouds came in.

Uncle Brian getting a shot, but look at those clouds above him!

Sending love,
xo.

Guitar, Bagels & Waffles oh my!

2008-06-08T13:27:00.001-07:00

just imagine rock star ruby....she wasn't playing, it just looks like it. don't trust pictures, right?

eating homemade bagels courtesy of our friend isa....YUM.

josh got glasses.

the bagels were for breakfast, so big rubes went in her jammers.

though she looks sad here, this little gal LOVES waffles. she didn't want us to take a picture of her waffles....funny kid.
we got our first waffle iron last weekend and have made 2 batches, and we freeze the leftovers so every morning can be waffle morning. sometimes waffle dinner.
sending hugs!

When Ruby gets BIG big

2008-05-30T18:58:00.000-07:00

Sleeping on the airplane to visit Oma & Opa...

During our golf cart ride, somebody had to get out and go running.

Hanging out at our new house, on the deck.

Juice pop - on the deck.

Giving the dog some love while taking a break from being a hula dancer.

Feeding the fish with Opa.

Tee ball with Oma!

Cart ride!!

Fixing daddy's bikle.

On a hike, our newest favorite thing to do, with friend baby ickix. We were at Sauvie Island. It was 2.2 miles, and she almost ran the whole way!

Sending love!

Rubles! Toast with "keem-cheez & jelly"

2008-04-22T11:38:00.001-07:00

the bird loves her toast in the morning. she likes soft toast, which means not toasted. the latest love is with "keem-cheez" and jelly.

Ruby

more soon! sending love to all.
xo

Ruby

2008-03-31T19:47:00.001-07:00

hello world! we've been crazy over here and haven't said hello in a while. ruby is getting so tall her feet pajamas are too short but she wants to wear 'em anyway. she is really into talking and reading books and telling stories. she wants to do everything "myself." thank you very much! and she does.

here's a moment of her "going nuts" in the car on a recent road-trip with her dad and some friends to Olympia. she was alternately biting her toes and screaming, "oh my gawd!" and generally going nuts. having fun. being ruby.

sending love!

kinda cute!

2008-02-12T18:20:00.001-08:00

that's what ruby told me today when we looked at a pair of running pants on a rack at marshalls. sadly, they were not cute. but she sure is!
she and her daddy went to a hand made bike show this past weekend. she rode the wee wheeler and apparently, "made an impression" on people. that's what a friend told me!

love!

Get out of January!

2008-02-03T14:32:00.000-08:00

the best place to go in portland during january is florida! booya!
we spent nearly a week in the sunny state just chilling with the grandparents.
mom and dad saw some movies, ruby did some swimming and playing. not pictured here but a favorite activity was taking a ride in grammy's golf cart! the world should be populated with golf carts, not cars. so much more fun.
enjoy seeing us enjoy -- and here's some love!
xo

if i didn't know any better, i'd think this bird had gills, not wings.

see what i mean? totally fearless, hanging in the tube.

sitting in the sun for a moment, taking a rest.

drawing in the driveway at grammy and grampa's house.

with her grampa, of course!

making cake, helping in the kitchen, waiting to eat CAKE!

playing with spoons and grammy. giggling, naming colors, sitting on the counter. always on the counter.

jumping in the pool!

In which we begin a new year with LOTS of old pics!

2008-01-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

long time no pics, eh?
the holidays are just plain nutty for us vegan entrepreneurs. work work work, then we got sick sick sick, and took no pics. here we go, though, through the end of the year 2007! more to come, promise.
xo

oma and opa visited in mid december. early christmas! we had a great time. gift opening....where ruby got LOTS.

having toast on the couch with oma, in jammies. this is the life!

reading books in the chair with opa. she loves his lap.

riding her pony, er, dog..... if you look up tolerant in the dictionary, you'll see this big brown dog.

being cute, all layered up, out shopping downtown.

showing off her new swimming suit. we literally (and i mean that) wore out her other ones. this kid is a swimmer!

creating something in the laboratory that is OMSI (oregon museum of science & industry) we were in the sand area.

here she is, pouring. again, with the water! i think her feet are webbed.

lounging amongst the balls in the padded baby area.

becoming a polar bear, sliding on her tummy. we watched her do this for over 45 minutes.

the full on body hug with her floor bear, er, dog. er, pony.

hugs!!!

ruby bird the lamb in new york!

2007-11-20T09:10:00.000-08:00

We have friends in New York that have a sanctuary -- it's the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary -- and they named an abandoned baby lamb after our little ruby bird. This little lamb was found with 5 others, left to die.
Here she is, with our friend Erica from Compassion Over Killing.
Read the story about their rescue here.
Thank you to Woodstock and Farm Sanctuary for everything you so for animals every day!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Halloween! It was happy!

2007-11-18T15:28:00.000-08:00

here's the bird -- as a bird! she was a chicken for halloween. SO CUTE!
that's her buddy max with her, he was spiderman, (see below) but had ditched his costume by the end of the night. so had ruby.

baby ickix as elvis. it stole the show.

the beginning of the night. can you believe these two?

the top of the dancing chicken is hidden & has lost her jacket. elvis was sucking candy wrappers. the party was starting....

chicken run!

more chicken run!

giggly chicken run!!!

love to all, especially my brother mike and his anson, for sending the best halloween care package ever!
xoxoxoxo

we've been so bizzy!

2007-11-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

look how much she loves baby ickix!

as always, the push toy is the toy of the day! here is the ick, pushing ruby. too funny!

the view from the front...

oma got her this birdie hat!

two dog lovers, having a drink as they sit on the dog bed. does it get ANY cuter??
xoxooxox

lots going on while we're flapping our wings

2007-10-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

she's taking a call from one of her fans...

she said she was "practicing" her smile. honey, you need no practice!

having some tomatoes and sandwich by the window.

happy with tomato dribble on her chin. she's sitting at a picnic table our friend leslie got at a garage sale for $4. score!

"swimmin" in the bath.
xoxoxox

Before & After ~ The First Day of Playschool

2007-10-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

Playing with her train.

Why'd you get me up so early? Such a tired little bird.

Waiting for mommy to get it together and get out the door.

And then, after playschool.....a nap with bunny on the chair.
In short, she loved it, she played, she ate snacks, she used the potty all day (no accidents!!) and she came home, and slept. We all love playschool.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

An evening with Baby Ickix

2007-10-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

We have some great friends with a little gal that Rubes calls "baby ickix." For anonymity, we'll leave it at that. But look at this face!

Here they are, working in the kitchen.

What a team they are.

Taking turns building and knocking down. Big fun was had.

I was off attending a talk that Herbivore sponsored with some other vegan businesses. It was inspirational and scary, all at the same time:

check out Green is the New Red to learn more.
hugs!
xo

Kansas, part two

2007-09-30T22:35:00.000-07:00

here we were visiting a local gardeners garden -- it was beautiful, though you can't see any of the cool plants. ruby was of course interested in the fish in the pond, and considering taking a swim. i had to keep a hand on her to keep her out! jeez!

feeding the ducks....and of course sneaking a bite or two for herself every now and then.

with oma and opa! getting tired after so much fun.

surrounded by bears - bears in hats and fleece. and a crazy ruby smile.
xoxoxooxo

Kansas!!

2007-09-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

Here is the Bird, in all of her Kansas glory. We are having quite a B I G time!

swimming in the hot tub....we cool it down and it is the perfect size. we're spending an hour a day in there, at least!

Yes, this little girl loves her Opa. Can't you tell?

In some of her new gardening gear. Clogs, knee pad, watering can, hat...plus the new hoe, 2 rakes, a spade, a shovel, 2 hand trowels....Oma has a shopping problem. ;)

This is what two hours of swimming does to a 2 year old.

Standing on her own, touching the bottom! Big kid.

Met with flowers at the airport!

And the new (0oollllddddd) bicycle! This baby is 50 years old. Oma put on a new coat of paint, a horn and a basket. The streamers haven't been attached yet, but they're here. Ruby loves it. We're pedaling our way around the cul-de-sac every day.

Kansas Rules!

Cooking and Chopping And Cute

2007-09-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

"want to go over there" she told me, as she left her post sitting on the counter, helping me cook. she needed to do her own thing!

"more toast!"

eating an array of colors....

back in the high chair, eating pasta & veggie meatballs.

over and out, people!
xoxoxoxox

big kid ruby

2007-09-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

this is her favorite new "silly" thing to do. remove the handle from the "butterfly net" and wear the net. she runs around acting crazy and shaking her head. it also makes her look like she's got a teeny tiny mohawk.

here she's just hanging out in the kitchen at her table, enjoying a glass of rice milk.

big kid ruby, drinking from a big kid cup.

the one and only naked baby farm! i joke. this is baby ickix, otherwise known as baby felix. but ruby calls her baby ickix. we had the pleasure of hanging out with felix the other night while her folks went out to dinner. a big time was had!

i don't know about you, but i always eat my blueberries while i'm naked, riding on a mult-colored rocking horse. they're so much better that way!

much love to all!

August in Portland

2007-08-23T17:23:00.001-07:00

hanging out on the front stoop. playing on the sidewalk. look how old the dog is getting! ruby like to walk him. she sees a bicycle go by and maniacally points and shouts, "bikle!"
xoox

Push it.

2007-08-11T21:56:00.001-07:00

she's a pusher. has been since before she could walk.
check it!

My, What a busy summer!

2007-08-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

i'm just going to get straight to some pics. we've been having a blast this summer, much too much fun to play online. here's some of the latest! we visited farm sanctuary in orland, ca, on our way home from LA a few weeks ago. (more on the whole trip, later)
see ruby have fun with all the animals, learn where the term goatee comes from, and witness us melting in 100 degree heat. we are NOT tough. we are weak portlanders used to the rain.
she had a BLAST running amongst the animals and they all loved her. ruby liked the turkeys the best, we think. and the pigs, who had to wear sunscreen. they're bred to have white skin which burns terribly! they get SPF 50 several times a day to protect them. i don't think i have any pig pics in here. check back later.
love love love to all!
a cool moment in the bunny barn. lots of unwanted rabbits are dropped off at farm sanctuary a couple months after easter. most don't like to be petted but we found a compliant one, here. so soft! ruby likes rabbits.

it was really hot but we managed to pose.

goatee?? yes! a goat with a beard!

this cow stands more than 6 feet tall, here he's laying down. he's old and his name is eugene. he was so pretty. really, his color and his big eyes. it was awesome to be around such a gentle, huge animal.

we hosed her down, she cried when we stopped.
xoxoxoox

Hello from Wednesday & the past....

2007-06-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

while i tried to get her to agree to a photo shoot in our newest herbivore shirt for kids, all we got was a bunch of shots of ruby running amok, a blur of digital imagery, and this. an orange cow hugger. cute, huh??

sportin' her robe that grammy got her -- playing with mommy's wallet. she's so dang busy!

here she is with kittee. "kittee come back, kittee back, dazey back. kittee? kittee." guess who her favorite houseguest has been? gee, could it be kittee? she LOVES kittee. kittee left a month ago, and ruby still can't stop talking about her! we love you kittee and dazey!

putting on her converse. in her feet pajamas, but hey, she's up for the challenge!

okay -- an oldie but a goodie. i know who's looking at this blog! we love you grammy & gramps & oma & opa! look at how big our little gal is getting!! this was before she could stand, and now, you should see the bruises on her legs and knees. she is a KID. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

You should now prepare for a large dose of cute. I'm warning you.

2007-06-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

Just chilling out in the morning, posing for pictures.

Demonstrating how to eat a cupcake while wearing your bathing suit. Happily, is how!

More bubbles. Bubbles. Blow more bubbles. Pouring bubbles out so there are no more bubbles.

Crispy Baked Sesame Kale -- Amazingly Delish.

Creamy Tomato Barley risotto-type dish. Both of these are from the upcoming cookbook Herbivore is publishing.
Love to all!

A Milestone or two

2007-06-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

Right now Ruby is upstairs with her dad, going to sleep. This happens almost nightly now, daddy doing bedtime. What a treat for me it's been, after 2-plus years of putting her to sleep every night!
But tonight....it was even more different! She grabbed a blanket, came into the kitchen, laid down, and said something about going to sleep. She curled up into the blanket and looked at us.
We were at the tail end of making dinner (which is another milestone of sorts, more on that later) but we threw in the towel on the dinner photo shoot and daddy took her up to bed. It was like, "night night!" and off she went! WHOA.
Currently, daddy is still up there but all is quiet, meaning it's probably all eyelids and baby snores. No matter she's got mango, dirt, avocado, rice, and god knows what else all over her. She said she wanted to go to bed so to bed she went! Bath can wait 'til morning!
These pics of the Bird are from today right when she woke from her nap. So sweet.

The other milestone is that I followed a recipe for our dinner tonight -- followed to the "t" as they say. I never follow a recipe - they're more like milemarkers for me. But, I'm a tester for a cookbook that Herbivore will be publishing, due out by Christmas. We are SO excited about this! The book is one of two that we are currently working on publishing, the other is a cookbook too, but the author came down with pregnancy (HA!) which has thrown a wrench into her taste buds. She's moving at a different pace now, but we're so excited about both of these books! And of course about the baby for our friend.
If you can, check out veganyumyum -- it's Lolo's blog, the chef and author, and it shows lots of her talent. She is an amazing photographer.
Here's a sample of what we made tonight! It's delish - fast and healthy but not healthy boring. Heck no.

It's "tahini lemon rice & beans" and it is good. It's got black beans, rice, seitan, kale and tahini lemon sauce, carrots on top. Other stuff is in the sauce, but you'll have to get the book. Ha.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Bawstrerries!

2007-06-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

Every week we've been berry picking on Sauvie Island. This week's take is the sweetest yet. Ruby gets the syllables mixed up, so we have been eating lots of bawstrerries. They are very good, if you didn't know.

We are also very into the "big book" which you can see, is a big book. Over 300 new words, thank you very much. Oma got it for us last time we visited. She likes the trains, the animals, and the moon. Loves the moon. Here she sits in our new/old green chair, having some rice milk in the morning.

Sending love love love!

~summer and uncle todd are here~

2007-05-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

walking around in a diaper, eating watermelon, on a mission to ??

who knew the hose was so beautiful? apparently, josh. :)

guess who learned how to water the garden?

right before i picked our first salad! it was YUMMERS.

resting after some swinging in hood river, oregon. with uncle todd!

she probably drank the whole bottle.

it's like little house on the freakin' prairie!

on memorial day -- her 20 minute disco nap before a night of baby partying.
hugs and love to all!

Gardening, Cooking, Doggie, Outside!

2007-05-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

playing with george makes ruby laugh!

it looks like he's eating her arm! don't worry, he's vegetarian. he's not!

chives chives chives! george has eaten the flowers off the chives.

watering. weeding. gardening. some of ruby's new words.

not a grouch, our little lady. no way. but what a cute hoodie, and for a buck at a rummage sale.

always with a tool in her hand. "here you go, mommy." as she hands me something.

making red pepper juice for fun with the garlic press. "helping" in the kitchen....

working together on dinner - our daily routine. xoxooxoxoxoxoxox

Parky!

2007-05-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

Here she is - at the top of the "Ruby Park." "Outside!" or "Out back!" she demands immediately upon waking.

Here she is with her little friend Maya. We stay outside as late as we can, until we all get too cold.

Here she is with me & my new short hair. If I ever tell you I'm growing it out, tell me not to. I tend to forget that I loathe growing my hair out. Make me keep it short! Aren't her curls too much?

So what if we just took a bath and have feet pajamas on? Let's put on some shoes. More exciting photos to come. Promise. Hugs and kisses to all.

Pictures to Speak for me

2007-04-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

the bird likes to look out the window...here she is on a sunny day, watching the world go by.

george loves ruby, and he loves ruby's things, too. but, whatever george loves, he likes to lay on. this could also be a foot, a shoe, a pair of dirty underwear, or even a whole person. in this instance, it's ruby's backpack.

ruby got a "park" at home!

swimming in the tub......ah bathtime........

love to all!!!

The very latest in the life.

2007-03-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

here she is, miss ruby bird herself. look at that smile! she's playing with "guy", a gift from grammy & gramps in florida. she named him herself. i'm not kidding. he probably has a name but we don't get nickelodeon on our tv. so we have no idea. personally, i think guy is a nice name. it has a retro ring to it.

of course, the kitchen cabinets are empty now, except for ruby and max. who she calls "mac."
my pots and pans are now stacked oh-so-conveniently on top of the fridge. and mac is loving on "hugging elmo" who surprisingly, gives hugs. thanks, oma & opa, for the elmo doll! elmo and ruby and mac love you SO SO MUCH. soso much soso much, so goes the song....

captivated by a "boon" / balloon, on mac's birthday.

being her adorable self on a breezy kansas day. the hat is from MY childhood. or was it mine or my mom's, i can't remember...this hat has been around for a long time, regardless.
this picture also proves that babies / kids look very good in black.

helping in the kitchen with oma. helping make lots of watery mess. we love messes.

ruby cleared off this little table at oma's house, it apparently looked like the perfect place to sit. i think she was playing poker with those cards....yes, playing poker with elmo.

her daddy, the artist in the family. this picture just melts my heart. she's so cute, and she's sporting her beads. every day is mardi gras with us.

just chillin' with "guy" and daddy.

love and kisses to all!

the shortest month caught me!

2007-02-24T14:50:00.000-08:00

good grief it's almost march! which means....it's almost SPRING!!!!!
we have been stuck inside of late, which around here is not anyone's favorite place. we're ready to get out and play in the dirt and sun, so global warming, come to portland!
i kid you, i joke. but we could use some sun.
here's the bird, playing at the indoor park.
yes, in portland, you pay 50 cents and take your child to the indoor playground. ruby LOVES it. she sits in the different cars, she watches everyone, she sits in another car. this kid doesn't fight over toys or crash into anyone. she's a quiet observer, savoring her favorite glittery pink car.
though the photo has her in a cop cruiser. oops!

her other new obsession?
ELMO. yes people, it has happened. ruby met elmo and it's been love ever since. she can't get enough of him. and i just have to get over the fact that she would rather watch elmo on TV than read him in a book. or play kitchen. or push her baby stroller. the only thing that is up there with elmo is harassing the poor dog. (who loves it, by the way.)
so we watch elmo DVDs and talk about elmo a lot. we tried the library this morning which was a BAD idea. every other parent & child combo was at the dang library. it was crazy. there were no books she was interested in, the lines were long, and blah blah blah. SPRING PLEASE COME!
love to all!
xo
mama herbivore
xoxoxo

this week in pictures

2007-02-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

good evening my good people!
what a week in the life of the bird. she's officially TWO years old and will tell you all about it. she knows the answer to the question, "ruby, how old are you?" so dutyfully replies. i guess this means no cheating on airfare. damn! above you see her blowing out the candles on her chocolate puff pastry, and us heading to the soaking pool at the kennedy school, a local bed & breakfast/pub/movie house/brewery that is 2 blocks from our house. we went swimming on her birthday in a heated saltwater turkish bath! wahoo! we followed that up with beer and tater tots and burritos in the restaurant. we all loved it.

We finally had to do it. The hair was getting out of control. So Paula Jones came to the rescue! Paula, our dear friend and hair artist, came over with her adorable offspring, Ada Kay, for fun, haircutting, and lunch - all in no particular order. The lot of us were shorn and shaped up. Ruby's hair gets comments like, well, her mom and dads. Paula rules. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Here we have Max, Ada Kay, and Ruby -- desperately wanting to play in the hair? No. Just hanging out by the gate. So cute. Alcatraz babies.

The biggest baby of them all. Mr. Man. George. He's an old fart now but so loved. Ruby gets on his back and sits on him like he's a horse. He's stopped even trying to fight it. We know he loves it.
Moving on to more cuteness:

Here we have the bathing beauty's, but I've "cropped" the picture, if you know what I mean. I turned around and found the two of them with their fingers up the nose AT THE SAME TIME and was able to snap a pic. THANK GOD neither one of them likes to dine during this scenario. Usually there is nothing gained by the finger, it's just a game of "hide the fingernail." Ah, toddlers.

Yo Grammy - check me in my monkey robe! I love it!
Can you all believe this robe? Why isn't it in my size? Found in Florida while Charlotte (Josh's mom) and I were looking for warm weather sandals....the two of us are no fools when it comes to good deals and cute robes. I think it was 7 bucks. SCORE! Thanks Charlottalove!!

A gal & her momma. Chilling out on the couch. That's it. Over and out. We love you.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxooxoxxo

back to life, our good life

2007-02-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

two birds in front of banana joes, our favorite spot for a quick treat. imagine frozen bananas thru a high power juicer....it's like ice cream. but it's bananas. really!

little ruby bird watching the world go by in front of the lotus root cafe. up and down the stairs, up and down, up and down....

the photographer, caught standing up on the surfboard! we couldn't get the man out of the water. actually, none of us got out of the water. which is why this is the only picture of us at the beach! 'cause we were always swimming!

did you know there is a mini "grand" canyon in kauai? we went there and i kissed his cheek.

well, the travels are over for now. please enjoy these pics from the remainder of our amazing week in kauai.
xoxo

Part Two, Birdy-Style

2007-01-23T22:23:00.000-08:00

Hello!
well, we've figured out our technology and posts should be good from here on out. the documentation continues at a rapid pace.....all so dang fun!
sunday was spent acclimating to our surroundings, we hit the pool at the resort, went to blossoming lotus, and explored by car finding great little beaches and just let ruby get into the groove.
monday we got up, hiked to queens bath, then drove to aninni beach and hung out swimming, playing in the sand, etc. we then went to banana joes - where the most delicious banana concoction on earth is created. it is made of: bananas. that's it. but put through a champion juicer. where they turn into crack - i mean, ice-cream like deliciousness. if only the masses could get addicted to THIS - the world would be better.
tuesday - well, i'll post about it tomorrow!
here's monday for you. enjoy. xoxooxoxxoxoxooxxoox

-- hiking down to queens bath - a natural swimming pool in the rocks. too rocky for our tastes, but beautiful. ruby loved being in the back pack! 1/22/07

-- at the bath. lava rock, danger, excitement! ready to go!1/22/07

-- beach bum 1/22/07

-- busy beach bum 1/22/07

-- the busiest beach bum 1/22/07

sending love!
xo

The Bird Does Hawaii - Part one!

2007-01-22T21:54:00.000-08:00

aloha!
i'm going to let the photos do the talking. as evidenced, josh is an amazing photographer. if i could only get ruby to say, "paparazzi!" ha ha ha. but, she's got mahalo (thank you) pretty well, and also "chicken." for those of you familiar with kauai, you know why....those of you not? there are chickens EVERYWHERE. beautiful chickens, roosters, chicks....it's so fun. apparently during some hurricane they got out and well, bred and bred and took over. just fine with me.
important: ingrid, THANK YOU. we are all having an amazing time. we love you so much and thank you mahalo for this opportunity.
mahalo, mahalo, mahalo!!
love to you all,
michelle

-- the cave right off the road at hanelei beach, full day one, 1/21/07

-- the outdoor airport in honolulu. we left portland at 35 degrees.....obviously, it was warmer here! 1/20/07

-- the bird sportin' her new hula girl outfit. oma, this ones for you!! 1/21/07

-- the bird loving the beach. she loves the beach. the sand, the water, the sun, everything. she's a natural. 1/21/07

-- the blossoming lotus. the reason we chose kauai -- so there would be an amazing place to eat vegan food! and is it EVER amazing. voted best restaurant on kauai, period, not just vegan. it's AMAZING. we had: ulu latkes with a dill cream sauce, the vegan omelette, the tofu scramble and the maple pecan cinnamon roll and passionfruit lemonade. we forgot to take a pic before we ate. as you can see, we liked it. 1/21/07
;)

over and out and more to come!

the baby daddy

2007-01-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

somehow he took this with his computer. it's weird in many ways.....what's her hand doing-i didn't know fingers went that way. and his hair?? and his nose?

Here She IS!

2007-01-15T22:36:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends!
Well, our past weeks have been full of fun and memories and sunshine and freezing cold temperatures. Such a combo. We visited Ruby's Grammy & Grampa in Florida - and what fun we had! Sadly, our camera that was reborn after it's dip in the Pacific decided to poop out once it hit the Atlantic coast. So we have about 5 pics of the whole damn trip. Ugh.
But here we go:
Ruby got to pick citrus with Gramps! There is so much to be had down there in the Florida garden this time of year. We had tangelos, pomelos, kumquats, lettuce, tomatos, and I can't remember what else. It was delish. Ruby made herself at home and picked tomatos off the vine and ate them right then and there. Just like she likes 'em.

It was so warm and humid but SO welcome to our chilled to the bone Oregon bodies. Ruby loved sleeping without her "feet pajamas" and really got into a great groove quickly. The biggest thrill, however was that we ewre able to leave Ruby with Gram & Gramps and go see THREE movies THREE nights in a row. We felt like real adults, not just visitors from planet almost two-year-old. Which is a fantastic planet, by the way. ;)
SO - not only did we see Little Miss Sunshine on the airplane there, but we saw Borat, Casino Royale, and The Good Shepherd. And then on the ride home we saw The Queen. This is more than we've seen in two years combined! THANKS GRAMS & GRAMPS.

Ruby was so happy to get home to her bikle, though it has been bizarrely cold here. She wore gloves today and didn't take them off. Strange behavior for a child who until recently insisted on staying bare-headed during torrential rainstorms. But check her out here sporting her rain boots and fleece mini-skirt. Too cute.
She's very into blueberries, barley and yogurt these days. Always into bread. And almond butter. Oh, and tofutti cream cheese, don't forget. Get some extra greens in her by sauteeing them up, chopping them up, and smooshing 'em into some cream cheese. She'll eat it by the spoonful. It's ridiculous but hey, my kid must eat greens.
She's also coming up with her own words these days. Nano is milk, bido is pillow, she's got the cutest way of saying 'baby.' Of course, she farts and we think it's golden. She's also stringing together words, daddy go, daddy bikle, bikle gone, doggy down, doggy down no.....
it's late -- so over and out we love you, yes!

Shizzah Hozzah

2007-01-10T22:48:00.000-08:00

I have no idea how to cuss in German, but that is what I imagine when I know how LAME it seems I have not posted in weeks. We were in the Florida, my friends, and I swear, tomorrow holds the treats.
xoxoxoxoxxooxoxoxo

Happy New Year, Peeps!

2007-01-02T21:48:00.000-08:00

Check out my new bib - mom says screw doing laundry every day. Now I just wear a faux-leopard body bib!

Yes folks, here she is, sporting the bib, eating wild mushroom, asparagus and garlic pasta for her new years dinner. It was Delish! (thanks, heidi!!) She even ate Max's, 'cause he wasn't eating it himself. She just reached over and forked it for herself.
Ruby and Max stayed up late and ran around for hours. We had fun with our friends and they played non-stop. Here she was, taking a break from the excitement. Could she be any cuter? No. Simply, no.

We have a big month ahead of us, travel, planes, beaches, sunshine.....there are great pics to come!
xoxoxoxo to all.

Ruby, Max & the Bikels

2006-12-31T10:43:00.000-08:00

Hello Hello!
So as we begin this new year that is just about here, I thought it would be a good idea to introduce some of Ruby Bird's best friends. We happen to be so lucky that just 3 houses down the street is a little boy 2 months younger than Ruby. Even better, we have become good friends with the whole family -- I don't know what life would be like without them! Not as much fun, for sure. That said, dear people -- Behold, it's Max.

Look at that hair, and yes, he is that good looking. Max is talking circles around all of us, he likes to play air guitar, eat cucumbers and go for long walks on the beach.

Here they are with Heidi. Ruby LOVES Heidi, so much that sometimes I get a complex about it. But then, Max loves me, so it all evens out.

Max also likes to display his affection for Ruby. Sometimes we have to pry his strong little hands off of her....they kiss, they hug, they dance, and we don't even ask them to. They are independent thinkers.

Next up, we have the bikel. This means bicycle, but to Ruby, it's all Bikel. Bikel, Bikel. Ruby is obsessed with bikes. She has this little indoor bike, a radio flyer trike, and her bike trailer that we pull her around in. Loves them all, see?

We don't have any pictures, but Ruby has a helmet she wears in the trailer, where she just hangs out, reads books, sips her beverage and watches the world go by. We'll get some of those on here, soon.

Happy New Year everybody!

Evidence of a Merry Christmas!

2006-12-26T12:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas was fun over here in the rainy city of Portland. Christmas Eve the Herbivore Store was open and I worked until 3pm. The Bird and her pop hung out and had pajama day. In the evening, we ate homemade Macaroni and Cashew Cheese, complete with breadcrumb topping....and watched the movie Elf, which is absolutely hilarious. Josh and I love it. Ruby just enjoyed the flickering lights and sitting in our laps, and eating popcorn.
The next morning!!! Christmas!

Ruby got a kitchen from Santa, along with little shopping baskets of food and pots and pans, etc. It is a big hit. It seems, though, she does not know how to clean a kitchen. But she does like to take pots out and put pots in her little cupboards. She likes to be busy. Busy, Busy.

In the afternoon we went for a walk in Forest Park, then made a huge dinner of "fried chicken" tofu, garlic whipped potatos, roasted brussel sprouts and gravy. Yum.

Love to all!

Staying in Touch, Visually

2006-12-24T13:23:00.000-08:00

Hello!
Welcome to The World According to Ruby Bird. At this site you will find a diary of our daily activities, adventures, mishaps and most likely, meals. I'm creating this blog for my family and friends, so it's easy for everyone to see just what the little miss bird is up to.
Today is Christmas Eve, 2006, and she is home with daddy, skipped her nap, is playing and most likely pulling on the dogs tail and putting beads around his neck.
I'm just guessing.....
Anyway, enjoy! Love to all!
mama herbivore