A few days after the first nest picture, we noticed that one robin had hatched. A few hours later, another. Here are first two, waiting for their third birdie sibling:

Several days later, all three were desperate and helpless. Every time we walked down the steps of the deck (the nest was in plain view, just off the railing), they would do this:

I swear; they looked like Muppets!  Weird, fascinating, helpless little Muppets.

I did check on the robins now and then, although I failed to capture their early adolescent stage on “film” (now there’s a metaphor!). And next thing we knew — two weeks later —  the nest was empty!  I have since Googled the fact that it takes a mere 13 days for robins to leave the nest after hatching — so our robins were developmentally on track.

So, we’re empty nesters. Sure do miss those little Muppets.

This is the look that we’ll be trying to replicate on Father’s Day — not just with gifts, but by letting him know how much we appreciate him and his unique “dad” qualities. We love love love this man!

Everyone seemed to appreciate our Father’s Day Gift Guides in 2012 and 2011, too…. check them out for even more ideas. Those guides are a bit fancier than this one, but I’m sticking to quick links this year as part of my overall simplification plan.

The Olliebop Father’s Day picks for this year: 

Mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone and iPad: A protective case that extends battery life. For long trips or long days.

Retro Key Tags: Goofy, yet practical, for the collection of keys to this and that.

New Treehouses of the World: A book filled with whimsical treetop creations.

Aquapac Waterproof iPad Sleeve: For beach reading, boating, floating down a lazy river… anything wet.

The Pocket Guide to Mischief: To indulge his inner troublemaker.

I’m liking several items on the Uncommon Goods Unique Father’s Day Gift List; especially the Optimist/Pessimist Glassware {so “Olliebop!”} and the Marimo Moss Ball Lightbulb Aquarium.

Large Handmade Tree Swing: Just the things for a dad or grandpa with a good branch and an appreciation for the simpler things.

Mission Workshop Backpack or Messenger Bag: A collection of oh-so-rugged daytime luggage.

Pimp his Dre Studio headphones with a Lazerwood overlay:  Until now, Beats seemed best left to younger guys. Not anymore! This real wood application makes them Dad-worthy.

Luchador Wrestler Bottle Opener: Opening a beer just got funnier.

Leather goods, like the Tolkien Leather Luggage Tag, the Customized “Dad” Leather Key Fob, or any of the custom leather goods right here.

The Biographical Dictionary of Popular Music: From Adele to Ziggy, the Real A to Z of Rock and Pop: For the dad who wants to impart an appreciation of good music to the younger set.

Converse Well Worn Chuck Taylors: A timeless fashion statement that comes with that worn-in look.

Seersucker Tie: Classic and summery. A sure thing!

Here’s to all of the great dads out there — and those who love them. Happy Father’s Day!

- Ollie and BOP

So, I’m trying a new format for some posts — “Pic & Picks”

Which is: one favorite picture {PIC}, followed by a short collection of favorite finds {PICKS}.

Like this …

The PIC: taken in our yard with my iPhone this afternoon. A surprise discovery!

Shot with KitCam on my iPhone.  This is what we use now for all iPhone photography. On sale now for $.99!

The PICKS {Oh, so loosely related to the theme of nesting…}

Family Reunion Tshirts: great designs from Custom Ink and Ink My Tee

A tiny DIY garden shed: the sweetest thing ever to be placed in a garden

Ultimate Beach Read Guide from Modern Mrs Darcy. A couple of steps to unlock the free download, but so worth it

Story of Zach Sobiech. On the off chance that you haven’t seen this amazing video. Still in awe; so are my kids.

Do Your Best Pennant: daily inspiration for young and younger, from Three Potato Four

Hamburger Bean Bag, anyone? You know you want one.

And speaking of nests, I want to make these lovely paper feathers and tie them onto a sweet little package

Can’t wait to see these little eggs hatch. We’ve experienced this once before and it was thrilling!

 Happy Spring

xo, BOP

Ella plays for two LAX teams; ADK Lacrosse and Saratoga Youth Lacrosse. We feel so fortunate to have outstanding coaches for both teams — dedicated, caring, and knowledgeable.

On Sunday, Ella’s ADK team played three games in a tournament up north in Lake Placid, NY.  Many of the girls had already played on Saturday in another tournament, so it was a physically demanding weekend.

On Monday morning, I opened my email to find this follow-up message from our ADK Coach:

“… We asked the girls what their favorite game was and they all agreed game ’2′ was (still cheering as they said it).  Ironically, happens to be the game that we lost by 2 points to a U15 ‘aggressive’ team.   That tells us that they would rather play the more competitive teams and lose respectfully. They cheered more during and after that game than the two games they won. We believe this was the game that they really came together as a team. It was a great moment to be a part of and witness. We win games and lose games. Either way, it’s about the effort and learning each time.  Most importantly, playing as a team.” – Coach Mike Ballard 

The Team: ADK Class of 2019 with coaches Heather and Mike

Ella in “the draw”:

ADK Teammates:

Here’s to kids playing sports for all the right reasons — to be challenged, to come together, and to strive. “Thank you” to all of the dedicated coaches who recognize what’s most important, and who work so hard to instill that in their players and communities. What you are doing is a beautiful thing. These lessons continue, and they matter! This is why we play.

Next-day edit: Ella’s coach, Heather, just sent an email remarking on one other aspect of this team — that these girls are coming together from 7 different school districts. They are on competing teams on a Saturday; and then teammates on a Sunday. Way to go, girls!

This has meant that posting has been pitiful; but learning and connecting in other ways has occurred instead. I have a revised plan for more realistic blogging — fewer words and quicker posts. Still fun; still optimistic; but simplified! Stay tuned… {to do that, click on “subscribe”}.

As a nod to my time recent in the weeds, I took my camera out this weekend to photograph our disheveled lawn — a metaphor for life these past few months. It seemed like an optimistic thing to do {and was much more restful than getting out the weed whacker}. Through the lens as I lay on my belly, our weeds looked all lit up in the weekend’s shining sun. As always, photography is restorative for me.

Here are my very own weeds. Behold!

Anyone else in the weeds — literally or metaphorically? If so, a little reminder from my weeds to yours…  to rest easy, set aside the “shoulds,” and look for their beauty. It’s there, somewhere.

See you soon! Promise.

xo - BOP

Snow day + iPhone + Seal Line Case = Fun

I just looked up at the bookshelf here in my office — and paused to notice this creation I made in Idaho at Brave Girls Camp back in the Spring of 2010. It’s a kitschy and colorful little thing that features a personal “truth” I chose as part of an exercise led by Melody Ross. I sat and thought about my truth while breathing Idaho air, playing with crazy-cool art supplies, connecting with amazing women, and listening to lovely music. Good, good stuff!

We sang, we ate, we made art, and we made new friends. We also worked on hard things that weren’t entirely easy or happy {that’s the “brave” part}. And then this little piece came home with me in my luggage to upstate New York to sit upon my shelf.

And here she is with my very own truth, served on tiny silver platter.

Something to think about, right? Especially for those of us who happen to be pleasers {Ooh! Pick me!}.

Do I always live this truth? Not even close. Being a pleaser is too much a part of who I am for that. It’s instinctive. And honestly, I really l like to please other people much of the time.

But ever since making this piece I have been much more open to the idea that there is another path besides always doing what is expected and conventional. I do say “no” more often, I change plans sometimes, I buck the system occasionally, and I am less judgmental of people who make those unexpected choices. With thanks, in part, to this tiny cheerleader sitting right here on my bookshelf. She’s tacky, she’s sparkly, and she’s not winning any art awards. But I think she’s got something good to say.

Love, BOP

You haven’t heard much about Pablo so far. I think the only appearance he’s made on Olliebop before is here. We adopted him after the launch of this blog — and Ollie had stolen the spotlight by then. So, meet Pablo! He is Ella’s cat, and he loves to sit upon us whenever he gets the chance.

Ollie and Pablo are best buddies. They wrestle every single day, without exception. Ollie gets down in play position and Pablo often makes little squeaky hunting noises which mean that he’s ready to rumble. Here’s one of the numerous videos I have taken of the boys in action:

Ella took the camera around the house on Saturday morning for her own Ollie/Pablo photo shoot. These are her pictures of the boys — first the lying around. And the waiting. For something to happen…

Then they casually inch closer to each other until one of them decides to attack. Pablo was the aggressor during Ella’s photo shoot, starting things off with a nice bite {nibble!} to the ear. And then the wrestling had begun — and one of us of course was yelling “mac and cheese! mac and cheese!”

I can’t imagine Ollie and Pablo without each other’s companionship. Without Pablo, I guess Ollie would simply be…

The cheese.

After doing some research last year I bought platform beds for both Hudson and Ella from West Elm. They’re perfect! I now know SIX tweens and teens who have West Elm beds as part of their new look. They’re affordable, stylish, high quality, and easy to assemble.

Hudson has a queen sized Chunky Wood bed frame in chocolate {$349 plus $50 delivery surcharge}. We didn’t bother with a headboard; it’s just against the wall with some extra pillows. We bought it on sale, so the price was even lower. For Hudson’s new look we added the Threshold Crinkle Quilt in Red and the Thomas O’Brien Sheets in “Tribal”, both fromTarget. Here’s a West Elm Chunky Wood catalogue shot below, in white. Note that Hudson’s bed in chocolate, with the red and taupe bedding looks totally cool and guy-ish!

This is the color of Hudson’s bed. We bought an extra thick mattress so that it wouldn’t be too low to the ground:

Ella’s bed is the full sized Simple Low Bed Frame in white {$199 plus $30 delivery for that size}. Again, we went without a headboard {though one could easily be added and West Elm has some great choices} and we bought it on sale.

It’s just the simplest thing, but that’s all we needed. For bedding she chose the Ruched Quilt in White and Ikat Dot Organic Sheets in Black, both from PB Teen. Looks crisp and classic!

These beds have everything we wanted in a new bed for our tween and teen: inexpensive and oh-so-cool, with zero parental hassle. Love it!

A quick post, after a 5 day vacation with Mr. BOP! Yep, just the two of us in Vail skiing — the first time we’ve gone anywhere significant in 9 years without the kids. It was glorious; classic Colorado powder and sunshine. An iPhone shot of our freewheeling selves… it was a very special treat that we will remember for a long time to come.

Lots of catching up to do now that we’re back, but wanted to say “hi” and thought I’d pass along that other fantastic soup recipe that I had promised back when I posted a new favorite —  Mexican Tortilla Soup {as, what else is better after skiing than soup?}. This recipe was shared by my friend Martha, after I devoured it at her house on a cold winter afternoon. Last time I made it, I snapped a picture of the ingredients — simple, and super healthy! Squash, ginger, leeks, and seeds to toast for garnish…

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

• 1 whole butternut squash
• 3 T unsalted butter or olive oil
• 2 large leeks (white part only), chopped
• 4 t minced peeled ginger
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare squash by cutting in half, removing seeds, and placing cut side down on an oiled baking sheet.  Spread the seeds on the sheet, alongside the squash {check on the seeds part way through baking to avoid over cooking}. Bake at 400 degrees 40 minutes to an hour, until squash can be easily pierced with fork.  Let cool, scoop the pulp and discard the skin. Set seeds aside for garnish.

Melt or heat butter or oil in a soup pot over medium low heat

Add chopped leeks and minced ginger, stirring until tender but not browned {5 – 10 minutes}

Stir in the squash, along with: 4 cups of the vegetable or chicken stock

Bring to simmer and cook, stirring and breaking up the squash with a spoon, for 20 minutes.

Puree until smooth in a blender or food processor, in two batches if necessary

Return to pot and stir in: 2 cups vegetable stock and add salt and pepper as desired

Heat through.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with toasted squash seeds

I hope you enjoy this delicious, healthy soup. I’m off to enjoy one of the best parts of a vacation — the happiness of being home again!