Random Thoughts from the Suburbs

12 Books Out Of 52

2012-02-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone! Oh wait... it's almost Valentine's Day? What the... Where did January go? I've just barely gotten my 2012 sea legs. That said, I did have the wherewithal to set my 2012 Reading Challenge Goal on Goodreads.com. Never been to Goodreads? I *sparkly heart sticker* LOVE Goodreads. (I've been spending a lot of time with preteen girls... does it show?) If you only read a little or you read a lot, it is a great place for keeping track of what you have read, what you want to read, and what your friends are reading. So get over there and friend me up! I am always looking for great books to read!

*Goodreads did NOT pay me to say any of that.... but they have sent me a free book or two through their giveaways section.

Free Books = Love

My reading challenge goal is to read 52 books this year. Last year I read 50 books, so this year I thought I would up the ante a bit. At this point Goodreads tells me I am 9% behind. Time to start reading! My fancy friend Amanda lit a fire under me with a simple note on my Facebook wall (or is it "timeline" now?) asking if I had set a 12 book challenge. Hmm... a challenge within a challenge? Yes. I accept.

Here is what she did and that I blatantly copied. My "to read" list on Goodreads is 121 books long. I googled "random number generator" and had it generate 12 random numbers out of 121. (see how that works?) I then chose the books from my "to read" list that corresponded with those random numbers. What resulted is an interesting collection of books for me include in the 52 books I need to read this year.....

Eclectic? Yes... but I'm looking forward to finally getting to some of these books that have been collecting virtual dust on my virtual bookshelf. Have you read any of these books? Any of them look interesting to you? Do you have a 2012 reading challenge goal? I challenge you to set a goal, pick some books off of your "to read" list (mental, on goodreads, scribbled on a notepad, or wherever you keep it) and get reading this year! Let me know how it goes!

Navigating Precarious Waters

2011-12-28T14:37:00.000-08:00

Watching my little girl rapidly grow into a teen is making me feel... well... helpless. She isn't a problem child, she isn't boy crazy, she isn't disrespectful. She IS smart, trustworthy and mature.


"Worried Mom" from Google Images. Also offered, images of Bradley Cooper. (?)

Mature. That is where I'm stuck. She is mature enough to kid-sit her little brother, mature enough to handle lots of household chores, mature enough to balance good grades, sports, and a pre-teen social life. BUT... (there is always a but, isn't there?) I try, very hard, to remember her age and that her maturity level doesn't mean she is ready for everything. For the first time, as a parent, I'm riddled with insecurity. How much holding back is too much?

I remember (oh, how I remember) middle school and the balancing act it could be. Learning to "be myself" yet still learning who that "self" was. Trusting that other kids would like and be friends with that person I was becoming. Being labeled as the weird kid who doesn't dress right, read the right things, like the right music, etc. was a fate I didn't want. Looking back, it was mostly in my head. My friends were a great bunch of kids who liked me for me. At 12 years old, I wish I would have seen that.

Today, at the bookstore, it came up again. My daughter came up to me with book after book and waited (often with embarrassment) as I looked it up on my phone to see if I could figure out if the content was appropriate for 6th grade. I know she has the reading ability, but will the characters in the book do things (drugs, sex, etc...) that I'm not ready for her to read about? Am I being overprotective? Is she ready to read about some of those things?

In the end, she came away with two books. My cursory google search made them seem OK for 6th grade, though one of the covers made me nervous.

When Ginny receives thirteen little blue envelopes and instructions to buy a plane ticket to London, she knows something exciting is going to happen.
What Ginny doesn’t know is that she will have the adventure of her life and it will change her in more ways than one.
Life and love are waiting for her across the Atlantic, and the thirteen little blue envelopes are the key to finding them in this funny, romantic, heartbreaking novel.

Romantic novel? What do they mean by that? When I was her age, I was reading Sweet Valley High and any other teen romance I could get my hands on. I have a problem... I'm having trouble letting my little girl grow up.

Note: As I was writing this, my daughter and her BFF were downstairs. They yelled up to me, asking if they could watch the movie "You Again" on Netflix. Much to her chagrin, I made them wait until I looked it up on commonsensemedia.com before I gave them an answer. In case you are wondering, it passed with flying colors.

I'm Not Buying What You're Selling

2011-09-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

I'm having a day at home. A laundry doing, pile sorting, toy gathering kind of day. (...and, yes, OK, I also watched my DVR'ed episode of Desperate Housewives. It's a Monday morning thing I do... I am unapologetic. *hanging head in shame*) The TV has been on all morning, set on the Travel Channel so that I don't get too sucked in and forget what I'm supposed to be doing. My friends, this morning, I have stopped in my tracks no less than 3 times... Who the heck is buying the stuff that they are hawking on daytime television commercials?

I have admitted, publicly, that I tend to get sucked in when watching late night infomercials. I've never purchased, but I have been close (*cough* pajama jeans *cough*).

OK... I own a Magic Bullet. It was a gift! (It doesn't work... surprised?)

The commercials I witnessed today make those products look even more enticing. One minute, I'm cleaning out the water receptacle of my Keurig Coffee Maker while watching Anthony Bourdain eat a Chinese Long Noodle (sorry, that sounded dirty... just me? Moving on....) and the next minute, I'm hit with this....

Stop reading and watch the Sauna Pants Commercial (click here)... I'll wait.

Sauna Pants! My jaw dropped. I'm sure this is how the most fit people in America maintain their svelte figures. You just velcro a pair of Sauna Pants around your butt and thighs and sweat your... your... girl parts? (or boy parts... whatever the case may be....) Thank God. I can drop my Weight Watchers membership, quit sweating my buns off on my treadmill, and just watch TV while baking my middle region in my own perspiration.

If Sauna Pants aren't really part of your life plan, have no fear! You can go the other way. Daytime television also offered up this gem....


Ladies and Gentlemen... Forever Lazy. (Watch it here)...I'm waiting for you.

This isn't a parody. The folks at Forever Lazy are serious. Adult size, full body, "I give up" clothing. See that odd zippered area around the backside of the man in the photo above? That is a trap door. A. Trap. Door. Because in the event you need to use the loo and are wearing this one piece blanket sleeper, they wanted to make it easy for you. If you took the time to click the link and watch the commercial you also know that this is the perfect outfit for tailgating at your favorite sporting events. (I can't expound on that idea... to much to say and yet no words....)

Now, this last one has me on edge... I can't really figure out why it is necessary. This is the one that pushed my away from my chores and up to my computer to write to you....


I know... this looks so horribly wrong. Watch the commercial, it isn't what you think! (See it here)

"A natural rest, for the breast." Is this a problem for the well endowed? I fall into that category and I can attest to the fact that I have never lost a night's sleep due to the fact that I didn't have a phallic looking piece of plastic nestled between my girls. (full disclosure - I think that is the first time I've ever typed the word phallic. I had to google it to see how to spell it correctly.) Rest assured ladies, it comes in a pink silk bag that you can keep on your bedside table. I'm sure that won't raise any eyebrows.

All I have to say in conclusion is... God Bless My DVR. Hooray for commercial free T.V.!

10 Years Later

2011-09-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

Slamming the door of the car, my 15 month old daughter tucked safely in her car seat, I set out on the short drive from Ballard to Greenlake. My mind wandered to my list of after work errands... Groceries, return a movie rental, stop by the post office. The radio DJ droned on in the fringes of my attention until something about his tone caught my ear. As I focused on the story I struggled to comprehend what he was telling us. An airplane hit the World Trade Center in New York? How is that possible? What a terrible tragedy! I don't believe that at the time it was clear that it was a terrorist act. It just all seemed... inconceivable.
My baby and I arrived at my nanny job and were met at the door by my friend/employer. She pressed me toward the TV, shaking her head in a slow motion of disbelief. "You must see this." she said and together we stood, our babies playing at our feet, watching the footage. Burning towers, Pentagon wreckage, and that deep scar in that Pennsylvania field. We were frozen, stammering to put words to what we were seeing. Instinctively, we both picked up our little ones. She found her voice, turned to me, and said "I'm not going to work today". She and her husband both worked in tall buildings in the downtown Seattle area. We were both thinking the same thing... Are there more planes? Could it happen here?
On the way home more details began to come in... stories of survival, bravery, and tragedy. We would hear these stories and many more in the weeks, months, and years to come - each one brought me near tears and made me grateful for the safety of those I loved. I felt the need to reach out to my family, so I called my mom - at home 200 miles east of Seattle. She hadn't been awake or aware of all that had happened, and like me, struggled to understand what was being told to her. It wasn't until later, after seeing the television footage, that she called me back in tears, beginning to fully grasp the events of the morning. Looking back, I now realize how ill she was already, and that she was slipping away. She would be gone in less that 3 months. I realize that the two events were not linked, but my conversations with her that day, and her confusion, will forever be linked to her death in my mind.
Yesterday, on the 10th anniversary of that tragic day, there was much time to reflect. After church, we spent the morning with friends, and then on the way home passed a 9/11 Memorial that was being erected in a park. Two twisted girders from the World Trade wreckage spiral up from the ground. It is a moving sight. My daughter, now 11, and I had a chance to talk about that day 10 years ago. I told her how, even though she is too young to remember, she was a huge part of that day for me. I clung to her, felt a fierce need to protect her, and a resolve to bring her up in a world where she is safe. She was my anchor, a reason for me not to get lost in a sea of fear and hysteria. My final memory from that day was in the evening, cuddled on the couch in front of the TV watching even more footage, my husband's strong arm around my shoulder, and our daughter nestled tightly between us, asleep.
Never forget... how could I? How could any of us?

Stories From My Convalescence

2011-06-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's because I'm bored. Maybe it's because I'm lonely. Maybe it's because I'm already up, showered, and have a chocolate chip Fiber One bar on board. All I know is, somehow I have found myself at the keyboard attached to my iPad doing something I had planned against doing. I'm blogging on painkillers. Not necessarily about painkillers, mind you, just typing down some thoughts that may or may not sound Percocet-laced when I re-read this next week.
As I sit here considering what to write, I'm starting to giggle a little bit. This is absurd. For the past several days, I have had some difficulty piecing together a coherent thought, so what makes me think I can write a whole blog post? You have been warned, dear reader, all rules are out the window, this will be the most entertaining few minutes of your day OR the most tedious.
As many of you know, I had a same day knee surgery this past Monday (for details, please see the post "Surgery Wigs Me Out".) and I have been taking it easy on my couch for the past several days. When listing my attributes, "Sitting Still" would not be found under "Strengths". (Neither would "asking for help" or "tolerating pain".) Needless to say, this week has given me ample opportunity for deep thought and introspection. My discoveries are as follows....

1. Blowing my mind is not as difficult as one might think. Two things this week have amazed me, but when I share the story, others don't seem as blown away. #1 - I had an entire conversation with my surgeon (post surgery) that I don't remember. My last recollection of conversing with my surgeon was pre-op when she came in to write her initials on the knee she was operating on. (side note - she initialed in purple sharpie marker and her initials are HP. I got a huge and not unpleasant Harry Potter vibe from the whole thing. If only I had Madame Pomfrey to come fix me up!) I'm amazed that I could be visibly conscious yet still "knocked out". #2 - Sometime between 2007 (when my ACL detached) and 2011 (surgery) my body absorbed my old detached ACL. It just ate it. Chris (who, admittedly, was as amazed as I) googled it and found that this wasn't really that uncommon and normally takes place within a few months after the injury. Whatever you say, internet. I'm still blown away.

2. I have forgotten what boredom is really like. I can't remember the last time I was actually bored. There is always far to much to do in my real life to be bored. I'm guessing that back in 2000 while on bed rest for much of my 3rd trimester I was bored. I recall laying on the couch wishing fervently that I could empty my dishwasher. This is a little like that, only I am able to push myself a bit more, without worry of hurting my child. (my child - who has seen her chore list increase 10 fold this week, would argue that I may be hurting her.) I had a plan to catch up on some movies and read some books while down. I didn't realize that I would fall asleep so easily.(A side affect of those lovely pain pills - I have already taken one nap since beginning this post.) This morning has been the worst by far. I'm feeling a little better, but not well enough to do anything substantial, and everyone else is busy with summer plans. *sniff* Feel sad for me yet? :)

3. Tina Fey is a genius! Despite my narcoleptic attempts at reading, I managed to finish her book "Bossypants" on my new Nook Color. (It took me 3 days - a snails pace for me when reading a book like that). She is smart, funny, and talented. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I wish I were more like her or that I wish she was my friend (not in a scary stalker way!). Whenever you say you want to be friends with a celebrity it comes off as super creepy. In high school, I had a friend who once said she wanted to be friends with Bobby Brown. She turned out to be a well adjusted, fully functioning member of society. I don't want to follow Tina around and make dolls from clippings of her hair. I just think she is cool. Have you ever read her piece entitled "A Mother's Prayer For Her Child"? If not, google it. I would provide the link for you, but I don't know how to do the fancy blog stuff on my iPad. I highly recommend reading her book as well.

4. It is important to nurture your friendships. I've said this before, I have an amazing group of friends. They have gone above and beyond for me. Some of them have watched my kids, some have cooked us dinner, (this is were blogging on painkillers is different than normal blogging... normally it takes me an hour or so to write a blog post. It is now a full 24 hours after I began to write this one. I took a nap somewhere between the Harry Potter thought and the part about boredom. This morning I found the post abandoned mid-sentence... let's finish this thought about friends, shall we?), friends have come to visit, vacuumed my house, made my kids clean their rooms, and stood by the door of my bathroom to make sure I haven't fallen and cracked my head open in the shower. Friends are amazing. I will take this experience with me and show my friends the same care they have shown me, should they ever need it.

5. Texting can keep you sane. When I first got my iphone I wasn't a texter. It didn't take long for me to get hooked. Chris used it to inform some friends when surgery was over and how it went. I have been organizing childcare, friend visits, and sharing sleepy observations with my girlfriend in Cali via text this week. I'm not always up for a full phone conversation (especially right after a dose of meds) but with texting I can keep up my end of a semi-coherent discussion about the Real Housewives of New York with my girlfriend across town. Just that small amount of adult "conversation" helped me feel connected to the "outside".

I have lots more rambling thoughts to share, but I feel another nap coming on so let's wrap this bad boy up.... to summarize, surgery was not horrible - it did indeed "wig me out" and from here recovery looks like it stretches out for miles ahead. I can move a little more every day and hope that some semblence of normalcy comes soon. My family and friends have been indispensable with their help, love, and phone calls. My electronics (iphone, nook, and iPad) are almost always within arms reach and ready to help me join the world. Painkillers seem to enjoy naps, quotation marks, ellipsis, and parenthesis.If you were able to follow my train of thought through all of this, I commend you.

If, after next week, this post disappears from my feed, it is because I was horrified. We must never speak of it again. Chances are, I will be amused, and it will stay put.

Still (and always...) a child of the 80's.

2011-06-17T23:56:00.000-07:00

I remember this...and I wanted it... so, so very much.

On my way to run errands the today, I took stock of what I was wearing. I'm sure most people do that before they enter into public spaces, I don't happen to have that kind of foresight. My point is, it may as well have been 1986 right there in my minivan. See if you can catch my vision... black capris, layered tanks (one of them in "electric lime green), an oversized short sleeved boyfriend sweater, and espadrilles. That girl in the pages of the Esprit catalog circa 1980-something? That was me. This morning.

I spent the years of 1983-1989 in junior high and high school. It was the dawn of my identity, the formative years of my perception of fashion. My musical tastes of the time will help you picture my style back then. I was into Duran Duran, The Cure, Cyndi Lauper, The Pet Shop Boys for much of that time. No, I wasn't a "waver" (for you younger folk, waver = goth = emo, in my limited understanding) I tended more toward the Sixteen Candles Molly Ringwald than the Pretty in Pink Molly Ringwald. I was an adoring fan of Esprit, United Colors of Benetton, and Calvin Klein. I rocked the jelly shoes, espadrilles, huarache sandals, and L.A. Gear Aerobic High Tops. You get the picture. The V-neck Shaker Knit sweater and I had a close personal relationship.

I just wanted to hang with an awesome, happy, sweater-loving, group of multi-cultural friends.

There was a sketch on Saturday Night Live in the early 90's where a group of people attended a bad haircut support group. One lady stood and said that she didn't belong there, her family had made her come and she didn't understand why. "I've had the same haircut since 1963 and it's not hurting anyone!" I can't help but wonder if I maybe in danger of the same issue when it comes to clothing. It is no joke that I felt pretty good in the layered tanks this morning. Just know that if you catch me in those Aerobic High Tops... you have my permission to take me down. By any means necessary.

Surgery Wigs Me Out

2011-05-31T10:37:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I know my way around a hospital. Chris and I have both seen our parents through some hospital stays and have had to navigate the world of medical terminology and translation. I feel lucky that at this point, at the tender age of 38 (and 11+ months...) I have avoided any major medical issues myself. My only hospital stays involved the births of our two darling offspring.

Though it will involve no hospital stay (knock on wood) I will be having surgery for the first time, and hopefully the last time, in a couple of weeks. In my efforts to "fix myself by 40", I am finally opting to fix my poor right knee, which has been "giving out" on me for a period of years stretching from my 13th year forward. More technically, I have a tear in my left meniscus and a torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament). Part of the surgery is arthroscopic, the other part involves and incision above my tibia and a cadaver tendon. Yes... just typing that wigs me out.

How did I end up here? In my 13th year I chose to leap over a picnic bench... and land in a completely weird way. The following winter I had a pretty decent wipe out while skiing. I followed up with years of more skiing and tennis, pushing my already weak knee with two knee-punishing sports. Then... in my 2nd year of teaching, I slipped in a puddle of milk, putting myself on crutches and into weeks of P.T.. Various slips, injuries, and falls landed me on crutches off and on in the following years until, in 2007, I had the grandaddy of all my falls. My daughter was turning 7 and her High School Musical themed birthday party required streamers. I climbed atop the club chair in our living room and it tilted.... and I fell... hard. I heard the *pop* as my ACL tore. It actually made that sound... POP! I can hear you wondering... "But that was 2007??? Isn't it 2011 now???" Yes, good for you for recognizing the date. I went to an orthopedic surgeon in 2007 who told me I "wasn't an athlete" and he hesitated to do surgery until I built up the muscles in my right leg. Oh, I didn't mention that? Years of favoring my knee and protecting it have made my legs different sizes. Not in a freakish way, but I can tell now that it has been pointed out to me. It irritates me.


Beware.....

So, why surgery now? I have stuff I want to do! Sadly, my new surgeon says she recommends against skiing. I had hoped to teach my kids... :( I want to go back to tennis (with a knee brace), hike without pain, play with my kids without fear of my knee giving out, run, exercise, and generally take care of myself.

What am I so wigged out about?

Anesthesia. I've never been under before. I am hoping I have the same experience my daughter had when her teeth were extracted... not a clue anything had happened. (except that her mouth was numb...)
Recovery. Lots and lots of physical therapy. My doctor says maybe 6 months worth!
Drugs. I hate pills, I hate pain. I'm sure pain will win.
My kids. Happy summer kids! Mommy is out of commission for at least 4 weeks! Enjoy!

Complaining aside... I can't wait to be on the other side of this. I am so grateful to my friend (you know who you are) for riding me until I made the appointment. I called her my designated "knee nagger". (Not to her face... but now she knows...) She was the only one I let nag me about it. It worked!

Mother's Day Two Ways (or... Deconstructed Mother's Day)

2011-05-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day with my sweet kids. I'm so blessed.

It may be obvious from the title of this post that my husband and I watch a little too much Top Chef, Food Network, and Cooking Channel. My Mother's Day had little to do with cooking, but the cooking terms somehow apply. For me, Mother's Day has to be broken down, served two ways, approached from different angles. This year, I think I finally got it down.

Later this year, in November, my mom will have been gone 10 years. Her absence from my life is still felt every day and the strength of the loss waxes and wanes. There were several years after her death that I simply didn't want to deal with Mother's Day. I would warily eye mid-May and try to make some kind of plan to distract myself from the actual celebration. It was selfish and a disservice to my children, who want to spend the day the way it should be spent, in celebration of their mom. I knew I had to find a balance. I'm a mom, blessed with two beautiful kids, and it was time to come out of mourning.

The Friday afternoon before Mother's Day, I showed up at my son's Kindergarten Mother's Tea. My son made sure I was seated in a chair right next to him and presented me with a "corsage" to wear. He had made it from curled strips of red construction paper glued to a circle of cardstock. We were treated to homemade strawberry shortcake and iced tea, serenaded with a Mother's Day version of "You Are My Sunshine", and presented with possibly one of my favorite gifts ever....


The words on the heart say... "I'll Love You Forever"

... a hand-made book, written by my little boy, original spelling intact! He read it aloud to me, and I couldn't help but get a little teary....

My mom always says "You,er sily" (I love that our legs look like we might live on a ranch!)

My Mom really loves "flowers".

My mom cooks the best "spugety." This is how she makes it. "She gets the pot. She puts it in the pot, then she baekes it. "

My mom and I like to "play basball."


My mom's favorite clothes to wear are "here green bres and her black paints." (dress and pants... and I don't wear them together!)

My mom is beautiful because she "is cinde." (Kind)


sniff

A pretty good start to my new and improved Mother's Day! After church on Sunday, we met my Dad and sister at the cemetery, armed with gardening shears, fresh flowers, water, and a broom. We cleaned up mom's grave and left some beautiful flowers. Then, at my dad's insistence, we took a couple of what can only be described as "Awkward Family Photos" with the grave. I am choosing not to post, as they consist of the three of us standing there, unsure if it is appropriate to smile, with our arms oddly crossed in front of us. I recall my Filipino grandparent's graveside services in California, and being shocked at the people gathering with the coffin for photos. My mother was quick to point out cultural differences, and that what was strange to me was not meant as disrespect. As we awkwardly posed by the grave on Mother's Day, I murmured to my sister... "That felt very Filipino of us." No matter, it made my dad happy, and we honored my mom. That is what we were there for.

We followed the cemetery visit with a visit to Chris' mom and dad's house, where we delivered a hanging plant and spent some time together. Then, Chris declared the rest of the day... "All about Mom". I chose to spend the remainder of the afternoon hiking on the Spirit of America Trail - a beautiful walk and great quality time with the people I love the most. On the way home, all of us happily slurping away at cups of frozen strawberry lemonade, I couldn't help but feel like my mom was with us, smiling and approving, basking in the love of my little family.

Running ahead on the trail.

Many of the moms I know were suffering this year, dealing with debilitating illness, fighting cancer, separated from their children by distance and/or war, and far too many are members of what I sometimes think of as a sad club, far too young to have lost their mom and, like me, finding ways to make their way without her. I wish and pray that the coming year brings peace and comfort... and for the sad club, don't forget to focus on what you have, and the joy that your family brings. In that way, you honor your mom the most.

Garage Sale: Effort = Reward???

2011-04-10T02:38:00.000-07:00

It is late Saturday night/Sunday morning and I am bone tired. Why write? We spent this beautiful Saturday systematically destroying each room and closet in our house searching for salable goods to shill at our upcoming garage sale. I am thrilled at the opportunity to clean out and simplify. My problem is, I've opened Pandora's box. My mind is on, it is thinking sell! sell! sell! and I can't turn it off to go to sleep.

Yesterday (Friday) I took on the monumental task of cleaning out the living room armoire and the shelves in the hall closet that have been housing my (now defunct) direct sales business. Today, the rest of my old business hit the shredder as I cleaned out the bookshelf in our bedroom that served as the resting place for old order forms and training materials. Our recycling can is bursting. As I cleared out my stuff, I began to think.... "These old Ikea bookshelves don't even match the rest of our bedroom! I will clean out the rest of the books and whatnot and add them to the "sell pile"! That, my friends, is where it begins.

My mind is swirling. Nothing in our house is safe. The living room furniture may have to go. I can't wait for the kids to wake up in the morning... guess who's rooms are next??? The thought of cleaning out those closets and toys makes my heart skip a beat. Make money from that stuff??? Heck yes! Sign me up!

This isn't my first rodeo, folks. I get together with my neighbor and do this every year. We split the cost of advertising and spend that day in an unspoken competition. Who will make the most? This year they have upped the ante. They are doing a major clean out. My competitive nature has accepted the challenge. And thus... I lose sleep.

I have attacked the kitchen, hall closets, master bedroom, and family room. Tomorrow, I take on the kid's rooms, the bonus room, and (shudder) the garage. I fully expect to come away with lots of toys, some clothes, furniture, books, and whatever our garage offers up to add to our already large pile of kitchen stuff, home decor, crafting crap... in the dining room. Next week... pricing. I hate that part.

Caught actually working at the stand! I recall this was short lived.

When the kids figure out that next Saturday is the day, we will be faced with the inevitable badgering... "Can we have a lemonade stand??? Please???? Please??? Plllleeeeaaasssseee????" I'm not against the idea entirely. Really! I love it when they are enterprising. Here's the deal though. Past experience has been that they stay involved with the lemonade stand for about 15 minutes. Then the lure of playing with the neighborhood kids proves far too great. They abandon the stand. About that time things warm up, we are swamped at the check out, and people decide they want lemonade! Guess who ends up with a lemonade stand? At the end of the day, my darling offspring wander back to the driveway, smile at me, and say.... "So, Mom.... what did we make on lemonade?"

It's time to make my way back down to my bedroom and try to get some sleep before the tasks of tomorrow. Hopefully, blathering on and on about yard sales to all of you has satisfied my mind (for now) and rest can finally happen. Off to dreams of big sales!

The Art Of Lying

2011-04-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

You may deceive all the people part of the time, and part of the people all the time, but not all the people all the time. - Abraham Lincoln

For the past several weeks, I have been planning and executing my husband's 40th birthday surprise party. In other news, for the past several weeks, I have been tripping over little white lies, over emphasizing small statements, and on the verge of throwing up. I am not a gifted liar.

What NOT to do when throwing a surprise party for your husband....

When your phone makes that little chirping sound signaling a text is coming in... don't dive for the phone and scream "don't read that!!!" at your husband.
Don't give too much information. I found myself slipping and telling my husband things that he didn't need to know....like that our friends would be in town from Portland. I also went into great detail as to why they were in town and that we probably wouldn't see them. Again, lying... not a strong point.
Don't check evite responses on your iPad while sitting next to him on the couch. Seriously, cuddled right next to him with the iPad pointedly turned away from him like I was hiding something. Very stealth like.
Don't let your 6 year old in on the surprise. Actually, on this one, I followed through.
When a couple of your friends accidentally arrive at your home rather than the party venue, and your husband sees them walking up to the door, don't say "Huh? I wonder what they are doing here?", Step OUT the door, close it behind you, and conference with friends in the driveway (it took all three of us to come up with a truly DUMB lie.), and then come in and fake sharing a phone number from your address book.
Don't excessively text your contact at the party on the way to the party. (I really thought I was being sneaky...)
Don't turn 6 shades of green while your stomach flip flops as you grow closer to the venue.

I will never be a spy. The FBI and CIA will never call and ask for my services. One of my favorite things about my relationship with my amazing husband is the fact that I can tell him anything. It was hard to put a lock on that for a few weeks. I really had to think before I spoke to him... another thing I don't usually do!

I suppose that I should be proud of my inability to pull off a good lie. How do people do it? It would be exhausting to constantly think ahead of yourself, remember who has been told what, and keep all of the stories straight. Lies have a way of growing and growing. They pile up on top of each other until they topple and leave you looking like a fool. The only way to keep them going is to convince yourself that your lies are actually truth. Even then, it can be easy to pick out the people who are deluding themselves.... Chris Brown and Mel Gibson come to mind.... terrible behavior is terrible behavior no matter how many times you tell yourself it is not.

Back at the surprise party.... Despite all of my missteps, we had a fantastic time. Even though he figured out that something was up, he was thrilled and touched by the work that went into the party and the friends that showed up to celebrate his 40th year. I won't be throwing a surprise party for him again, and the process showed me just how hard it is to keep up a web of lies. I am so very grateful that I haven't created a life that depends on keeping up the web.

Living Out Loud: Thoughts on the Facebook Generation

2011-03-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

18 years ago there was no Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, or even mainstream use of email. Cell phone use was uncommon. Smart phones didn't exist. I was 20 years old during this dark age of communication. The last of a generation who mailed letters to friends and family via the USPS. This isn't a post about how things were better then, the evils of the internet, or cell phones. Quite the contrary. I can't fathom living and parenting in a world without these conveniences. I have whole-heartedly embraced the technology train.

My kids, on the other hand, have never known a world without instant communication. Where research was done at the library or with your set of encyclopedias on the shelf in the family room. A world where you don't even have to talk to someone to know what is going on in their life. The Facebook generation. I am on Facebook. I love it. I love having a connection to the lives of my friends. Friends that span the ages of 17 - 70 years old. (I don't friend kids on Facebook. I have my own set of reasons, sometimes I wish I could, but I don't.) What I want to talk about today, is the difference in those friends.

Sharing is a part of who I am. I share things about my life with all of you, some of you I know, some I don't through my blog. I share with people that I know and like on Facebook. BUT, I am careful about what I share. Everyone has their own "too personal for sharing" threshold. As a blogger, mine is probably a bit lower than some. Having said all of that, the things that my younger facebook friends are OK with sharing astonish me. (Younger friends, I am speaking in general terms here. If you do not fall into this catagory, than know that this isn't about you.) I like to think of it as "living out loud". Privacy isn't as closely guarded. I can't help but wonder... why is this?

Back to the world my kids are growing up in... where information moves so fast, are people trying to keep up with the pace and forgetting to think of the possible consequences of the information they put out there? My kids are not yet old enough for Facebook. But when they are, I will encourage them to listen to that inner feeling. The one that asks.... "Would you tell people this face to face? Would you say this to all the people you encounter in your day or just those you are close to?"

A few of the types of status posts I have encountered....

The "I am currently or was so drunk last night" status. - I'm not talking about the "too much wine-tasting" headaches or the "went out with old friends and forgot that I can't drink like I did in college" posts. I'm talking about the "I got so wasted that someone drew on my face, I don't remember how I got home, I puked on my shoes" post. I'm sure your grandma, your youth pastor, and your mom loved hearing about that one.
The "I have a family grievance to air out to everyone" status. - Your family's personal business is your family's personal business. I know you from work... I don't need to know about it. BTW... it may hinder the healing of that grievance if the offender knows that you blabbed it to everyone on your friend list.
Popular among my contemporaries... The "my EX is the devil" status. If you are my friend, I probably agree. But many of you have kids... do they really need to hear what you publicly think of their mom/dad? Save it for a text message to a good friend that can empathize.
The "I was so sick I...." (insert your own bodily function here). I am sorry you are sick. I don't want to know the intimate details. Again, if we are good friends, you can tell me about it in person. If you are a friend from high school that I haven't seen in 20 years... no thanks.
Popular among the few high school/college age friends I have... (or more to the point, THEIR friends who comment on their status)... Calling each other "Gay, Fag, Homo, or Queer" - I just have to say, REALLY??? It is 2011. You are being offensive. It is hard for me to believe that people can still be so insensitive to this segment of our population. I don't care what your religious beliefs are. It is not your place to judge the way a person lives their life. (putting my soapbox away...)

I could list several more, but you get the point. I'm sure you could think of some to add. I won't even delve into the area of politics. ~~Your political post will not change my mind on this issue~~ Oh, yes, I said I wouldn't....

I guess what I'm trying to say is this... Remember your audience. What might be OK to share with your BFF isn't always appropriate to share with another parent from your child's Kindergarten class.

Yadda...Yadda...Romance....

2011-02-14T23:11:00.000-08:00

"I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon." ~Author Unknown

OK, so it's Valentine's Day. A little after 10pm. The kids are off in dreamland. My love is downstairs watching "Castle" while I pound the keyboard upstairs in the office. In the romance dept., tonight is pretty dry. Let me take you back 25 hours, as our heads hit the pillows after a busy weekend....

Me: "Oh crap... tomorrow is Valentine's Day.

Let me just come right out and say... I did nothing for you."

Chris: "Yeah, I thought of that a little bit ago. I didn't do anything either. "

Me:"Should we just skip it this year?"

Chris:"Fine by me. Goodnight."

Me: "Goodnight"

And....Scene.

Pretty grim, eh? It really hasn't been a bad day at all. Flowers appeared with my love when he walked through the door (in addition to body wash and dish soap... we were out of some stuff!), we had a delicious family meal of Chicken Parmigiana... a meal where no one complained that it was "yucky" or "smelled weird", and earlier today I had the pleasure of watching Kindergarteners exchange Valentine's... they were actually seeking each other out to say thank you... unprompted!

Why then, are we spending our romantic evening on different floors? Our busy weekend, filled lots of family and excitement, some impending travel, and big events on the horizon have created a bit of apathy, I'm afraid. I actually proposed we "put off" Valentine's Day until next month when life is calmer and we can better afford it. In retrospect, that proposal is a bit stupid. Several months ago, while drowning in obligations to this board, that sport, kids activities, and clubs, my husband and I agreed to make it a point to go out on a proper date once a month. Essentially, we do a Valentine's date every month. So why worry that we just don't have Valentine's mojo this month? (and yes, I'm sure many of you assume I am talking about sex. I can't say I'm not... but I'm not necessarily saying I am... and I'm sure that cleared it up for you.)

I'm not an anti-Valentine's person. Once I grew out of that disgruntled anti-"greeting card holiday" phase in my twenties, I learned to appreciate Valentine's Day for what it was, a day for people to focus on love. I am a big believer in focusing on love. Not just once a year, but all the time. What I'm not a big believer in for Valentine's Day is gifts. At our house, Valentine's Day is best celebrated with words. Cards, notes, and spoken words. Flowers are nice, I love them, but that is as far as it goes. Given the choice between a note from the heart from my husband or a fistful of grocery store flowers... I choose the words. I don't buy for my kids on this holiday. They have nothing to unwrap. I do leave them notes in their lunches, in their sock drawer, on the bathroom mirror, etc. My husband knows better than to show up with a necklace hidden in the zippered stomach of a stuffed animal from the jewelry store at the mall, or worse, a mylar balloon. It is the card that makes my toes tingle. Go figure. A writer who loves words. Shocking.

Hopefully, in the coming weeks, Chris and I can shake off the obligations long enough to be able to sit down and write something to one another. Then, the spirit of this holiday will be realized for us. I can't wait.

In other news.... My computer hates me tonight. Case in point, this entire blog post is in italics. I do know how to turn them off, but it isn't working. Also, I'm irritated by the out of control underlining of the word Castle in the 2nd paragraph. But it won't fix either.

Infomercials... almost my downfall.

2011-01-03T12:17:00.000-08:00

I am a sucker. Actually, that isn't exactly true. I am almost a sucker. I can't tell you the number of times I have been pulled in by an infomercial, obsessed about it for several days, (thankfully) gave into my other quirk - internet research before every purchase, and decided against buying whatever they were hawking on said infomercial. Over the years I have wanted...

Ready Strip Paint Remover

I don't even own furniture that would need to be stripped. But why wouldn't I want it? The paint comes off so easily!

The Nuwave Infarred Oven

Don't I deserve delicious meals in minutes???

The Tobi Steamer

I hate ironing... and this will remove wrinkles in seconds! I have seconds! Even better, I can iron my curtains without removing them from the rod. I so need this.

Those items don't even scratch the surface of the products I've obsessed about over the past couple of decades. But lately, I've been really wanting these....

Pajama Jeans!!!!!

Who doesn't want their jeans to be as comfy as pajamas? The fact is... I do love stylish sexy jeans. I love soft comfy pajamas. I like pocket stitching, brass rivets, contrast stitching, and though I've never heard of Dormisoft... it sounds nice. Also... smooth butt-lifting design. Need I say more?

I have spent a good amount of time (1/2 hour...) researching this product. Oddly, some seem to like them... not the usual result of my internet research sessions on infomercial products. There are issues with ordering them from the website, extra shipping for the cheapo t-shirt they make you buy without options for opting out. Also, tall girls complain that the inseam on these is way too short. I won't have that problem. So... who knows? Maybe I will buy pajama jeans... bring on the hate. I can take it.

The Avalanche

2010-12-28T14:29:00.000-08:00

It is so easy, this time of year, to warily eye those around you frantically shopping for the perfect gifts to add to the already heaping stack of toys already purchased for their offspring.

It is easy to grow uncomfortable with the flurry of "Christmas Lists" floating from one family member to the next.

I can even claim that it is easy to get caught up in all of the holiday madness, despite your misgivings, and spend, spend, spend until Christmas evening arrives and the wrapping paper scraps float the floor, settling on the detritus of another holiday past.

I am not judging. I am not innocent. I spent, I gave, I exchanged lists. I am not totally comfortable with my choices. This year, I truly thought I had toned it down. The stack of gifts under the tree looked smaller. But I checked the final total on my special "Christmas List" App (yes, there is indeed an App for that.) I was shocked to see the total of our holiday spending. Chances are, we will be eating pasta for the rest of December.

My holiday spending is a little like an avalanche. I begin to buy a few things here and there as early as September. As the months go buy the bag of gifts grows larger and larger until that frenzied bit of shopping right before Christmas creates a mountain of things to unwrap on Christmas day.

This year, however, my trepidation following the holiday was overshadowed by a much bigger and better avalanche. An avalanche of goodwill. A wonderful and timely example of how a small thing like a phone call can start an overwhelming chain of beautiful events. Let me start at the beginning of the story....

Just after Thanksgiving, I was on the phone with a friend, questioning her about a post she made on facebook. Some friends of hers had suffered a devastating house fire - losing everything but the pajamas they wore as they escaped the flaming house with their small children. The story moved me. How easily it could have been my family. Someone I love. What would it feel like to lose everything?

I did the only thing I could think of. I called my kids school. My kids attend a wonderful private parochial school and I thought maybe we could work together to help this local family. The principal was all for it and brought it to the staff. Many of them had read about the fire in the paper and quickly agreed that we could do something. During the Wednesday morning chapel service, they brought it to the kids. The kids were very enthusiastic. All chapel offerings for the month of December were directed to a fund for this family. Some classrooms actually opted to donate to a class fund rather than do a classroom gift exchange at their Christmas party. An announcement was made at both performances of the Christmas program that a special offering was being collected at the door. Families were able to purchase gift cards in the office from places like Walmart, Fred Meyer, and Sears to donate to the cause as well.

Before I continue, please allow me to dispel a myth about private school families. We are not all wealthy. In fact, those with money are in the minority... most of us are normal working families who have made a choice to send their kids to private school for whatever reason... small classes, religion, one on one attention, etc... everyone has their own reason. My husband makes a good living for us but it is still a sacrifice to pay tuition. Worth it, to us, but a sacrifice none the less.

The paragraph above makes my point much stronger. During the month of December, a month full of the extra spending examined at the beginning of this post, our families gave with their hearts to this family. Today, our principal and secretary were able to deliver a nice check and an envelope fat with gift cards to this young family. When I received the call with the total of the donations that had been delivered, my heart filled. One phone call. That is all it took to start the avalanche.

Life After Caffeine

2010-12-14T12:47:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, I gave up a big caffeine habit. Between my fabulous Keurig coffee maker, my neighborhood Starbucks, and my beloved Diet Dr. Pepper I must have had more caffeine than blood coursing through my body at any given moment.

My original rational was that less caffeine would be kinder to my blood pressure. That may be kind of true, but it isn't proven to have a long term affect. The Mayo Clinic has this to say about it....

"...It's unclear what causes this spike in blood pressure. Caffeine could block a hormone that helps keep your arteries widened. Others think that caffeine causes your adrenal gland to release more adrenaline, which causes your blood pressure to increase.

Some people who regularly drink caffeine have a higher average blood pressure than do those who drink none. Others who regularly drink caffeinated beverages develop a tolerance to it. As a result, caffeine doesn't have a long-term effect on their blood pressure.

It's best for most people who already have high blood pressure to limit the amount of caffeine they drink, or stop drinking caffeinated beverages. If you're concerned about caffeine increasing your blood pressure, try limiting the amount of caffeine you drink to 200 milligrams a day — about the same amount as in two 12-ounce cups of brewed coffee."

*Click on the words "Mayo Clinic" above to read the article in it's entirety.

So I decided to give it a try, and quit caffeine... mostly. In reality, I've traded coffee for decaf tea and Diet Dr. Pepper for Diet 7up. I'm also downing lots of water. I still have the occasional diet soda when I'm out to eat and I did indulge in a Peppermint Mocha last week at Starbucks. I'm not made of stone.

How did it go? Well, the first couple of weeks I was plagued by headaches. Then... nothing. No real cravings, no caffeine related headaches, moody outbursts or "oh my god, I've got to have my coffee" moments. My BP is actually down a bit. I cut it out and I am OK. Who knew?

I'm not sure I could have done it without the following product....

Good Earth Sweet & Spicy Tea & Herb Blend. It isn't too sweet, it isn't too spicy, and I have no need to add any kind of sweetner to it. I used to use coffee to guard myself against the cold days of winter, but now, with my Good Earth Tea in my hand, I can weather the... ahhh... well... the weather.

On the other side of it all, I'm glad I did it. I wasn't convinced that giving up caffeine would do me much good in the realm of my blood pressure and how I feel in general. In fact, I was expecting a decrease in energy and general participation in life. That did happen for a couple of days.... my non-scientific experiment can not tell you if that was due to science or emotion. Today, on my second cup of herbal tea, I feel just as good as I did on coffee two months ago. Better in fact and with no afternoon crash.

Now... maybe I can do the same with sugar.....

(as I typed that... a voice in my head screamed Noooooooo!!!!!!!)

Wish me luck!

Fa la la la la... la la la la.

2010-12-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

I don't really need to seek out Christmas music this year. My kids seem to be singing a continuous medley of Christmas classics. Maybe it is because they've been practicing for their school's Christmas concert. Maybe it's because Amy Grant, Harry Connick Jr., Nat King Cole, and The Barenaked Ladies (Barenaked for the Holidays) are playing in the van. Maybe it's because they are ALWAYS SINGING. That wasn't a complaint... well, sometimes it is, sometimes it's not.

I've been having some trouble finding my Christmas spirit this year. I've gone through the motions... cards, decorations, photos, gift buying, etc. but true Christmas spirit has been missing. Missing, that is, until my kids started all of their singing and humming. At first it was my youngest, who never knows the whole song, so he just sings what he knows... over and over and over. This year it was "We three kings of orient are, We three kings of orient are, We three kings of orient are...... Oooooohhhhhh, Star of Wonder, Star of Night! Star with royal beauty bright!.... We three kings of orient are....." Then my oldest kicked in with "Feliz Navidad", complete with the correct pronunciation of "Prospero Año y Felicidad."... thanks to Larry the Cucumber's tutelage back when she was 3.

With all of this singing, I'm reminded of something my friend, Buddy the Elf, always says....

"The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear."

Great advice. It worked for me. Each time I sing along with my kids or the songs in my van, I feel a little more warmed by the season. The things in my life that had been keeping the cheer away - personal stuff, Black Friday ridiculousness, and an endless holiday to-do list fade away. I can finally focus on the beauty of the season, spending it with my loved ones, and the birth of our Savior. Music is magic.

*As I write, the kids are downstairs, and a loud burst of "Joy To The World" just carried up toward me.

Christmas music gives my soul the lift it needs to truly celebrate the holiday. Do you have holiday favorites? I would love to hear what you listen to this time of year.

Here is a list of a few of the albums you can find spinning in my stereos or coming from my iPod during the Christmas season.....

The Amy Grant Christmas Trifecta.... I know she may have another Christmas album or two, but these are the ones I have and love. We attended the "A Christmas to Remember" Concert at Key Arena in 1999, and had to leave because I was newly pregnant and very sick. What I remember is this... I loved it and wanted to stay more than anything. Well, that, and she wore a beautiful sparkly blue dress.

Nat King Cole: Christmas Album - In my mind, no one... NO ONE... sings Christmas classics like Nat King Cole. Did I come across a little emphatic about that??? When he sings "The Christmas Song" it makes my holiday.

Harry Connick Jr.: When My Heart Finds Christmas
I love the touch of jazz Harry adds to the songs on this album. My very favorite? "I Pray On Christmas". I always turn it up. My kids used to say... "Not this song!!!" but now they love it as much as I do and sing along.

A Very Special Christmas: Vol 1 - Yes, friends, the very first one. I don't think I have ever even heard the others. This album was released in 1987. I was in my teens and, for me, this was THE ONLY Christmas album that year. I still love it... it makes me feel like a kid again. A girlfriend and I take special delight in singing "Silent Night" with Stevie Nicks.... especially the lilting "well, it was a...." she added toward the end. Gold.

Bebe & CeCe Winans: First Christmas - This was one of my mom's favorites. Every time we came home for Christmas she would ask if we had remembered to bring it home. We finally gave her a copy of her own and she would play it all the time. It makes me think of holidays at home, our family back when we were the "kids", and my mom. I feel close to her when I listen to it.

Barenaked Ladies: Barenaked for the Holidays - A much more recent favorite, but it isn't Christmas anymore without The Barenaked Ladies... or as we, and many fans call them... BNL. I love this album for its quirky approach to holiday music, for teaching me a little hebrew, and for the very odd song "Deck the Stills" (sung to the tune of "Deck the Halls").

It is important to note that my son now knows most of the words to "We Three Kings". He just came up and sang it to me... it is his memory work for tomorrow at school. Now we need to work on "The First Noel". He loves to make up his own verses to that one... they often include the words "underwear" or "toilet". What can I say... he is a 6 year old.

Does music do for you what it does for me? Please share your favorites of the season!

The Annual Christmas Photo

2010-12-07T09:38:00.000-08:00

Every year, I snap a photo of my kids in front of our Christmas tree. Sometimes they are dressed in their holiday finery and some years, like this one, they are clad in matching winter pajamas. Normally, they are compliant with this photo request, but the passing of years has grown them into the type of siblings who aren't really into touching each other too much. As we gathered in front of the tree I heard my son tell his sister... "Your lip gloss is gross. I don't like looking at it." Ummm.... so much for holiday love.

In a desperate attempt to get a nice, maybe even loving photo of my offspring I employed the tried and true child smile trick. "Picture your classmates in their underwear." I told them... willing a smile from their petulant little faces. This worked magic on the 6 year old. I think the 10 year old was trying very hard NOT to picture them.

At first I got a giggle....

followed by a snort.....

...and then he was simply overcome by giggles.

It was a full 10 minutes until we could make another photo attempt. Underwear is powerful stuff. Here's hoping that your are finding joy in the simple things this holiday season.

MGM Grand - Las Vegas

2010-11-29T09:54:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to do some mini reviews of the hotels we stay in. During our Vegas trip I remembered to take some photos of the room to help me along the way. But first.... I have to show you something completely unrelated....

Isn't it beautiful? Every year, my stepmom presents my sisters and I with a new Christmas ornament. This year's is absolutely exquisite. Silver mistletoe on a delicate white ribbon. I'm in love with it. You can have one of your own by clicking here.

Now back to my regularly scheduled blog post.

The MGM Grand - Las Vegas

Back in the days before we had a mortgage, private school tuition, homeowners dues, and other grownup bills, we always booked our Las Vegas stays at The Venetian. It is beautiful, the rooms are huge, and it just feels... fancy. This year, we opted to go for a cheaper option. The MGM Grand. Having never even set foot inside this mammoth hotel, I did my fair share of research via tripadvisor.com and reviews on other various travel sites. What I learned was this... people either LOVE this hotel, or they HATE this hotel. I forged ahead because it fell in our price range and prepared myself to be a little testy if the room wasn't up to par.

Upon arriving at McCarren International Airport I noticed a counter largely emblazoned with the MGM logo. It was a hotel check in counter. Apparently, you can check into your room at the airport. But not at 8:30 pm on a Wednesday. It was closed and locked down tight. Oh well. Seemed like it might be convenient.

Entering the lobby, the first thing you see is the gleaming iconic MGM Lion. You know the lion from the movies, right? He lets out that mighty roar at the beginning of MGM movies? He is memorialized in the lobby, shiny gold for all to behold. Unfortunately, that means for ALL to behold. Including the drunken college kid who chose to climb up and... ahem... mount it... while his friend yelled "Sweet!" set down his huge drink, and proclaimed (over and over...) "I want to f**k the Lion!" Now, let me just say that I know this is Vegas and people are prone to drunkenly proclaim inappropriate things in a louder than average voice. I'm not going to lie and say that it didn't make me a little nervous about the usual crowd that frequents the MGM. Luckily, this was one of the few obnoxiously drunken displays we witnessed at the hotel. Also, security was there before the 2nd drunken kid was able to make good on his proclamation.

At check in, we learned that we had been "upgraded" to a deluxe room in the newer West Wing. This made me laugh a bit, because when we booked we debated about staying in the newer, more modern West Wing or in the older, but more spacious Grand Tower. We chose the Grand Tower because the rooms were larger and many of the rooms have Strip views. It was hardly an "upgrade" since the rooms book on Expedia for the same price and our chances of a view were gone. I inquired about the possibility of a room with a view of the Strip and was told that we would have to wait until the next day and move. Whatever. We took the so called upgrade and followed the directions given to our room.

At this point I want to say that they send you the longest way possible to your room. They give you a map to get there. Also, the MGM is the largest hotel on the Strip and finding your way around practically requires a GPS unit. I found that the key is to LOOK UP. There are signs to help you navigate but they are fairly high and had I not read about them in a previous review, I don't know that I would have seen them until a day or two into our stay.

After a LONG walk down what seemed the longest hallway in the existence of hallways, we opened our door and the first thing we saw was the bathroom vanity. Obviously uncluttered with all of our stuff and minus the bottle of Heineken (how did that get there????). You may be thinking what I was thinking... "So, if housekeeping lets themselves in because I don't hear the knock and I am getting out of the shower....) Oh, you weren't thinking that? Welcome to my thought process. Don't be afraid.

In answer to questions you may actually be thinking... Yes, that glowing rectangle is THE bathroom light. No, it does not provide good makeup lighting for daytime makeup. That black box next to the light is a TV. In the mirror. So that you can watch TV while you stand awkwardly with a light blazing in your face. They thought of everything.

Two doors. The one on the left is the shower. It had an overhead shower and a hand held shower wand. It was set to hand held and mounted in its holder it hit me somewhere around chest level. I couldn't figure out how to switch it to overhead so I took an odd shower our first morning. Luckily Chris figured it out and normal showers were to be had the rest of the trip. On the right, the toilet room. Complete with a phone that had 2 lines and a hold option. Discuss.

The bedroom. This is a wall to wall shot. All of those mirrors are to help you deal with the fact that you are in a 350 square foot box. (sorry, I'm a princess.) I must say the bed was fairly comfortable, though other reviewers said it was "The most comfortable bed I've ever slept in!" I would venture to say that those reviewers need to upgrade their sleeping situation. It was nice. That is it. I did love the cool striped carpet and the funky orange leather headboard. The headboard matched an even funkier leather chair that I failed to photograph. I dug it though. Very hip. My side of the bed had a large vent built into the also built in nightstand. I still had space for my stuff, but for some reason, it annoyed me.

I was enamored with the closet. It was hiding in the giant wall of mirrors. I loved that the light turned on automatically when you open the closet door. Its the simple things that charm me.

I am an unpacker. I know lots of people never empty their suitcase when they travel but I fold and hang the contents of my suitcase and neatly stow it away until the end of my trip. Even if the end of my trip is tomorrow. I found the drawer situation to be lacking for my unpacking purposes. We really didn't bring that much but it still felt crammed and inadequate.

Here is a shot of the closed closet door. I love it when things hide away. You can also see the corner of the cool orange chair.

At this point you have seen the entire room. This was the West Wing Deluxe King. Its counterpart in the Grand Tower has around 100 sq. ft. of extra space so if you choose to stay at the MGM, and size matters to you, go for the Tower. You may even get a view.

Reading this over, I'm a bit surprised at how underwhelmed I was with this room. I've been telling people it was "nice" but now, I'm unsure if I would stay here again.

A few more thoughts about the hotel in general....

There is a Lion habitat and it is a HUGE draw. Especially at feeding time. The animals are direct descendants of that iconic lion from the beginning of my post. They live on a ranch outside of the city and spend 2 1/2 hours in the 9 million dollar habitat once or twice a week. The habitat is sound proof, smell proof, and climate controlled. People with kids stay at the MGM to see them and to go to the nearby Rain Forest Cafe. That was a warning. (I will save my kids in Vegas rant for another post.)
The West Wing actually proved to be rather convenient for us, location wise. We figured out how to cut through the West Wing Bar, which put us right next to the escalator for the sky bridge to New York, New York. Our friends were staying at Excalibur, which is another bridge over from NY, NY... so meeting up was fairly simple. Did you know that all of those hotels (plus several more at that end of the Strip) are owned by MGM?
I had heard horror stories about extra charges ending up on bills at the end of your stay. This did not happen to us, but be sure to check your bill when leaving. They did not offer in room check out or the usual invoice slipped under your door on the day of departure.
On our final morning, we wanted to enjoy a good, basic, sit down breakfast with our friends. We decided on the Studio Cafe in the MGM and were seated quickly despite the large line. The fact that we were a group of 4 rather than a couple enabled us to skip most of the line and service was efficient. The food was basic Ihop fare. Nothing fancy. But it suited our needs and gave us a place to have a nice final visit before heading to our respective states.

In summary to this huge post.... The MGM was nice, typically Vegas, and nothing more than that. I'm not sorry we stayed there, but will probably opt for another hotel next time.

What Happens In Vegas.....

2010-11-17T02:04:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas. Sin City. The city that coined the phrase "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Not in this case. I'm going to give you the skinny on our recent trip to Las Vegas. But remember... I'm not an open book. You're not getting the whole enchilada. Well, we are pretty low key, not a crazy Vegas party couple. You will probably get most of the enchilada. At the very least, a full serving of taquitos. (Taking the Mexican food joke too far....)

Chris and I booked this trip a month ago. Chris turns 40 in a few months and our friends, C & J, turned 40 in August. In an effort to celebrate those birthdays somewhere in the middle, both in birthday months and actual distance, we chose Vegas in November. At this point, I should let you know that Chris and I are no strangers to Las Vegas. Early in our marriage Chris would spend an annual boys weekend there with his fraternity brothers. That lasted several years... until I mused that I might like to go there as well. In our late 20's and early 30's we made the trip almost yearly. And then we got pregnant with our second child. Prior to this one, our last trip to Las Vegas was in July of 2004. Our 10th anniversary. I was 7 months pregnant. It was 120 degrees at the airport when we landed. My feet were so swollen I could hardly walk (waddle) and I was so drained from the heat we never made it far from the hotel. Still, that was the trip that we finally took a gondola ride at the Venetian, saw Cirque du Soleil's "O", had a fabulous dinner at Smith & Wollensky, and won $600 at the "Wheel of Fortune" Slot Machines. It remains one of my favorite Vegas weekends. But I digress....

If you are here looking for a swinging, partying, crazy, drunken, clubbing guide to Vegas you are in the wrong place. Even in our 20's we were never club goers. We are suburbanites, parents, people in our late 30's who come to Vegas for unique entertainment, amazing restaurants, and a little gambling.

Gambling

OK, really, the gambling is mostly me. Chris can normally be cajoled into some time at the blackjack table and hold his own. I blow it at the slot machines. Only one particular kind of slot machine... The "Wheel of Fortune" slot machine. It calls to me as we walk through the casino. Literally. It yells. "Wheel..... Of..... Fortune!!!" I can hear it clearly from amongst all of the beeps, pings, and clatter of the casino. I love this game. If 3 "spin" icons show up in your 3 slot windows... you get to spin the wheel. It is so exciting! There is no loosing when you spin the wheel. Such a high. Before you send me the number for gamblers anonymous... we have a system. We bring a set amount of money to gamble... and when its gone, its gone. And this trip.... it was gone. Quickly. No $600 winnings for me.

Entertainment

This was the first time we traveled to Vegas without some kind of entertainment plan. We decided to "wing it" and see what kind of deals we could score at the Tix for Tonight near our hotel. Our friends had never seen a Cirque Du Soleil Show so we were checking them out fairly heavily. We ended up with tickets for Cirque's "Zumanity". If you are uncomfortable with nudity, sexual jokes, and well... more nudity, this is NOT the show for you. We found it enjoyable and funny in parts, but were a little disappointed in how "non-cirque" it ended up being. Don't get me wrong, it was very entertaining, but I felt there weren't enough eye-popping aerial feats and breathe catching acrobatics to call it a Cirque show. It was more burlesque in nature. They try to tell you that, but I didn't listen. My bad. If you do choose to go, and you aren't into audience participation, do not (I repeat, DO NOT - IN CAPS!) purchase the "love seat" seats or really anywhere near the front. I was happy in the balcony, out of harm's way. (For more on "what to expect from "Zumanity" check it out on Yelp.com)

Among the more tame entertainment options... we took advantage of 1/2 price tickets to the Titanic Exhibit at the Luxor. I don't know why I had low expectations of this exhibit, but I did. I was surprised to find a well thought, beautifully preserved, respectful exhibit that taught me all about that terrible tragedy at sea. My favorite part of the exhibit was the opportunity to compare the classes of travel. When equated to today's dollar value I was shocked to find that Chris and I would probably would have been lucky to find ourselves in 2nd class on the Titanic. We would more likely travel in 3rd class (or "steerage" as it was commonly called). We also would likely have died in the cold Atlantic sea for lack of easy access to the upper levels. Many of the passengers personal stories were on display, along with some amazingly preserved belongings. It made the story real - not just the Hollywood film I saw in the theater a decade or so ago. We were each given a card upon entering, with the name, class, and story of a passenger. At the end of the exhibit, we were able to check and see if our person lived or perished in the accident. My passenger died.

Chris and I ended up wandering on our own for a while one morning. We made our way down to the Bellagio and enjoyed the beautiful lobby, especially the Chihuly ceiling. As a fine art major in Tacoma, Chris had the opportunity to watch Chihuly at work in his studio and has been following his career ever since. I find his stories and anecdotes about the artist and his work fascinating. (for those of you that know me... that wasn't sarcasm.) He brings the art to life for me.

While at the Bellagio, we decided to take in the "Figuratively Speaking: A Survey Of The Human Form" Exhibit in their Fine Art Museum. We are museum lovers. I think the two of us could gaze at works of art for hours if given the chance. We had the little recorded guide handsets and learned much about the influences of some of the old masters on the artists of this century. I was excited to find a Keith Haring painting hanging next to a Pablo Picasso. I loved to imagine what he would say if he knew his work was so respected it could hang next to Picasso. I'm guessing that in life, he would never have dreamed it. Anyway... One of the scariest places in the world for me is a museum store. Far more dangerous than a casino, my husband and I tend to lose our minds as we peruse volumes of books about our favorite artists. In our early 20's we left over $200 at the SF MOMA museum store. Probably not our wisest moment given our financial state at the time. Luckily, or unluckily depending on your outlook, the Bellagio muesum store stunk. It was sad and small, and had little to do with the current exhibit. We escaped without spending a dime.

I have so much more to tell you about our hotel and the amazing restaurants! I also have a diatribe brewing about the many parents with young ones we spied roaming the strip. But it is late and I am going to regret this late night keyboard pounding. Vegas has been good fodder for blog post topics! I just want to stay up and write.... but....Goodnight....I will thank me for this in the morning.

I am not....

2010-11-08T16:10:00.000-08:00

An odd realization came to me as I was talking to my aunt last week. There are things about me that people assume, and I let them, about who I am. Maybe a part of me thought I was these things or wanted to be these things. Reality is... I'm not. Even more surprising, given serious thought, I don't want to be.

I just re-read that first paragraph... how cryptic! This is fun! It sounds like I'm going to come out with something earth shattering about myself. Maybe I should just end here and let the speculation percolate.

Nah.

I'm just not that kind of a girl. Here are a few more things that I'm not...

1. Organized. - Not a huge secret, I've talked about my penchant for procrastination a few times on this blog. Not only do I procrastinate, I am also fairly disorganized. Take a look at the bonus room in my house, my desk drawers, my pantry, and my breakfast bar for proof positive.

A typical desk drawer in my house. The horror.

2. A Decorator. - Some people have that easy style, a pottery barn flair (if you will...) that has their house looking fabulous within weeks of moving in. We have lived in our house for 8 years. EIGHT YEARS. I still haven't painted the hall, dining room, kitchen, living room, or my bedroom. Why? I can't decide what color. I'm hopeless.

One of the many paint swatches that seem to permanently reside in our home.

3. A Stylist. - I occasionally get lucky with a cute and flattering outfit. I have an idea of what looks good on me (I don't always hit the mark). But as far as what is in style... I have to be hit over the head with it to understand it is... "in". I am waiting for the day that my daughter is old enough to reliably counsel me on the latest and greatest. She does OK... but if it were up to her right now, I would be wearing Silly Bandz up to my elbows.

My closet. Sometimes I just stand in there and stare. Clueless.

4. Crafty. - I love a good craft. A good GUIDED craft. With directions, or better yet, an example to copy. Creative... I'm not. (at least not in the craft arena). I've done a decent job of copying good ideas for many years now. Truthfully, I don't want all of the stuff, the clutter, and the never ending glitter that comes with crafting. I thought I did... I was wrong. I am happy to enjoy it somewhere else and pay for the privilege of using the materials.

This spread might be one of the last times I attempted to really scrapbook.

I love those new photo books that you can buy through snapfish.com or other sites.

5. An Open Book. - I share a lot of myself. Duh. I blog... lots of sharing. But I have boundaries. I don't tell all. In fact, I hold quite a bit close to the chest. Many people assume that I am one of those people who puts it ALL out there. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Often, I internalize too much and have to deal with the consequences. I share just enough to make people think they are getting the whole enchilada... but (surprise!) there is usually more.

An open book? It may seem so....

It was interesting to realize that some of these things I thought I was were not really so. For the record, I've never fancied myself a fashionista. But those other things... there have been times in my life when I truly aspired to be organized, decor savvy, crafty, and open. Maybe I've changed, maybe I'm settling into myself as I get older. I've realized that those things don't fit, they don't make me.... well.... me. As I get to know this older, wiser version of myself, I will write about the things I am. I think it may be a much more difficult post. But also a step toward becoming the best person I can be.

Celebrating My "Tween"

2010-10-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

I've recently met someone. She is amazing. I love to hang out with her and I truly enjoy her personality... she is smart, funny, entertaining, helpful, and supportive. She is... my 10 year old daughter.

Yes, we have recently met despite the fact that we have been living in the same home for over 10 years. The little girl she was is still in there, but getting to know the person she is becoming is like meeting a new friend with whom you have an instant connection. I met this new version of my daughter last Spring Break, on a girl's only trip to San Francisco. As I've mentioned before, I have a son, a wonderful son who has the unfortunate habit of demanding attention. I had been remiss about carving out some one on one time with my daughter, so our girl's trip to S.F. was well timed.

While waiting for our connecting flight in the Salt Lake City Airport, we stopped for some lunch at Dick Clark's American Bandstand Grill. (This is not a restaurant review post... but in my limited experience there.... Meh.) She cracked a snarky joke about something on the menu and I looked up... shocked. Torn between scolding her for being snarky and proud of her for being witty... I went with laughter. She sounded just like her mother, her aunts, and my best friends. My eyes were opened. We were having great lunchtime conversation... not a typical little kid asks questions and mom answers, not a mom prompting topics so the kid will talk kind of conversation, but a real conversation in which she shared opinions, related things happening in her life, and what she was looking forward to on our trip! It was fantastic. The rest of the trip was more of the same and I got to know my daughter all over again.

In the months that have followed I have enjoyed a new openness with my girl. I am still her mom, and will always be her mom before being her friend. We still have the normal mother/daughter altercations over her messy room, homework, etc, etc... But beyond that, she has been irreplaceable in regards to helping me around the house, making me giggle with funny observations, giving me a opinions while shopping for clothes, and an endless list of other things that make my life full. I am so lucky to have this lovely girl in my life. I love her with all my heart.

Five Things I Love Right Now - v.2.0

2010-10-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

Way back in July 2008, I wrote a blog post entitled "Five Things I Love Right Now". Reading through it again, 2+ years later, made me chuckle. It is funny how fickle I can be when it comes to my favorite things. In 2008 my favorite things were.... My Wii Fit, Mentos, Deadliest Catch, My iPod Touch, and Peanut Butter and Apples. I can report that only one of those things made it to my new list in 2010.

And now... because I know you all crave my favorite things list in an Oprah's studio audience type way....

My five current obsessions! (not in any particular order...)

1. Peanut Butter and Apples - The funny thing about the return of PB & A to the list is that the last time I was really into them is when I wrote that original post. I burned out and laid off of them for a couple of years. Recently, they became my go to breakfast again. I had forgotten how delicious and satisfying they can be.

2. My iPhone 4 - If you recall my love letter to my iPhone 3Gs last April you are well aware of my iPhone love. I upgraded to the iPhone 4 as soon as it became available to the public without preorder. I realize I sound like a rabid fanboy in saying that, but the truth is, the day before the iPhone 4 release, I dropped my beloved 3Gs on the tile floor of my kitchen. It popped out of its case and landed face down, shattering the screen. I called it a serendipitous mistake. My husband still calls it "suspect timing".

3. Our iPad - When I think about my favorite things, I try to name things that I interact with every day. That is truly the case with our iPad. This amazing little machine acts as command center for our life on the main floor of our house. We use it everyday to check our email, look up information, search recipes (and when found, I lean it in my cookbook holder and follow the recipe on in), read the news, listen to music, read books (I have both the Kindle app and the iBooks app), general websurfing, and nightly solitare while watching T.V. (I am a little A.D.D. I think...). Using still feels a little "bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise" to me. But in a good way.

4. Walking - It is the time of year that I take up walking again. I love the crisp fall air, the fleece pullover and yoga pants, and the colors of the changing leaves. Summer is tough for me in regards to outdoors. I tend to overheat easily and overheating results in migraine headaches. In my corner of the woods, our summers days are often in the 90's to 100's, making for warm mornings as well. So fall and spring are my outdoor walking seasons. I am sad to think that soon the temps will dip and chase me inside to once again depend on my Wii Fit for exercise. One of the things I would LOVE to add to my favorite things list is the BowFlex Treadclimber. Low impact for my tricky knees yet the benefits of a treadmill, elliptical, and stair climber wrapped into one. Unfortunately, the base model is $1000+, I don't see it becoming part of my world anytime soon.

5. The Keurig Coffee Maker - I am amused by the appearance of this appliance on my list, mostly because, in an effort of be kinder to my blood pressure, I gave up most caffeine a month ago. Still, I use it everyday during these chilly fall mornings and evenings. It gives me a quick and measured amount of hot water instantly for hot tea, hot cocoa, decaf coffee, etc. I love ease. This machine makes enjoying warm beverages as easy as having a cold beverage. I'm hooked, and so is my family. When I bought it, my husband questioned the wisdom of spending $109 on a coffee maker since I am the only coffee drinker in the house. Now, he uses it every morning, as does our 10 year old, for a quick hot chocolate or tea. My favorite thing about it is when we have family dinner at my house, and a few of us want coffee with dessert. No need to brew a full pot, everyone can choose decaf or regular, flavored or plain, bold or mild, according to their tastes. A genius invention.

My biggest wish is that I could yell "And you are all getting one of your own!!! Look under your chair!" or command a fleet of handsome men to pour out of the backstage area with these favorite things for you. Sadly, I don't have Oprah's resources, money, or connections. Maybe next year, I'll be able to tell you how much I love that Tread Climber.

Confessions of a Stay-At-Home-Mom

2010-10-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

This topic has been rolling around in my head for quite awhile now. I have been asked countless times over the past several months what I plan to do all day now that my two darling offspring are in school full time. So, I thought I might tell you. But every week I think "Hmmm.... maybe I should wait for a more typical week. " This morning, it became clear. There is no such thing as a typical week. That fact alone is the reason I sometimes feel like I'm drowning in a vat of chocolate pudding. (If I am going to put myself in a fatalistic drowning situation, shouldn't it be in something delicious?)

So, for the wonderers, the doubters, the people who love me but irritatingly suggest that I have nothing but time on my hands... A Typically Untypical Week In The Life Of a SAHM.

Sunday:

On Vacation. This does not make my argument that I am busy hold much water. I spent Sunday at Huntington Beach in California. This trip marked the first time I had seen my best friend in over a year. It was well earned and waited for.

Monday:

111 degrees in Southern California. Escaped to an indoor mall in Costa Mesa. Flight back home delayed, filled time with more girl talk and Margaritas. Back home at 11:30pm. Too tired to tell my husband about my trip.

Tuesday: Zombie Mom. Got kids ready for school and out the door by 8 am. Laundry, Groceries, wading through house disaster (Did a Lego truck collide with a Nerf Gun Dart truck in my family room???), seemingly 6 months worth of dishes and take out containers on the kitchen counter, calendar wrangling. Pick up kids at 3 pm from school, homework, soccer practice, dinner, more homework, phone calls, bedtime reading with kids, bedtime for kids, husband home at 9 pm from work, brief talk and cuddle on the couch, asleep on aforementioned couch.

Wednesday:

Kids to school by 8am, Walk, shower, back to grocery store (forgot things in my stupor on Tuesday), Leave for school at 10:50 for volunteering.... Kindergarten Lunch Mom, Recess Duty, 5th Grade Lunch Mom, Recess Duty, Hanging Leaves on the Fall Fest Tree in the school hallway - one for each donation given to our students for our yearly fundraiser, Kindergarten Learning Centers Helper, drive carpool, home for 45 mins of homework and changing into soccer clothes, soccer practice, dinner, homework, bedtime reading, bedtime for kids, finish book club book, work on Parent Teacher League plans for Trunk n Treat night (didn't I say I wasn't able to be involved in this event?), more laundry, snuggle on the couch with my sweetie, once again... fell asleep on said couch.

Thursday:

Kids to school... (you know the drill....), Yoga and Aerobic training on Wii Fit, Writing on a project I've been working on, shower, household accounting, more laundry (why doesn't the pile ever shrink?), back to school to hang more leaves, pick up kids, carpool, dash to ballet, crazy road construction traffic, homework, leave for soccer practice, 6 year old meltdown in the car, same crazy road construction traffic between me and practice, 10 year old freak out about amount of homework she has to accomplish, U Turn out of traffic and back home (soccer practice aborted), dinner, more homework, 10 year old meltdown resulting in early bedtime, reading with 6 year old, bed for 6 year old, more laundry, on phone with BFF while doing dishes, multi-tasking without really accomplishing anything, attempt to make it through Thursday TV after Chris comes home at 9pm... Fail. Gave in and went to bed in actual bed.

Friday:

Call back friend who has been trying to talk to me for several days. Find that we have a shared mall errand that needs to be done so agree to meet in an hour at the mall Starbucks. Shower, check email, answer email, late for Starbucks. Meet my friend and have a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate (They're Back!!!!) before heading into the mall for tween age birthday gifts. Spend our time at stores like Claires and Aeropostale rather than fun mall store destinations. Run across grand opening of Sephora - 10 mins in line scores us free cosmetic bag swag. Quick lunch and then goodbye to Karen. Run across town to pick up 6 year old for his yearly check up. 4 immunizations & flu mist for him, 1 flu shot for mom. Ice cream and a Nerf football for traumatized immunization boy. Target run for mom's prescriptions, football, and various other important household items, home to let boy rest his legs (because, apparently he couldn't walk... drama:)) and make dinner, trash dinner plans and go to Olive Garden, home and to bed for little one, attempt at TV but end up making lists of things I need to accomplish next week. Bed.

Saturday:

Soccer Game, 35 minutes of dead time where we can't go home but to long to just sit in the car, buy pumpkins from trucks set up in parking lot of nearby grocery store... only $8 for 4!, Drive thru Taco Bell for Dad who failed to eat breakfast like the rest of us, Next soccer game, Cranky boy (too long at the soccer fields), Cranky mom (overheating and not enough water), Mom and 6 year old go home at half time, Mom takes meds to stave off migraine and goes to sleep, Up and shower in time to grab a bite to eat and meet friends at the movies to see "Life As We Know It", PF Changs for drinks and apps, home and to bed.

That is it. I'm sure you got bored in there and skipped ahead. My life isn't so fabulous that it makes for amazing reading. I wish every week began at the beach and ended with drinks and apps with friends at PF Changs. It normally does not. My point is, most of my weeks look like this. Run here, do this, fly there, do that. I strive for a schedule, but many days it just falls apart before lunch. phone calls, favors, etc. often derail what I have carefully planned. The assumption that my "non-working" life allows me lots of free time is wrong. My sahm status allows me to more easily rearrange my day than my working counterparts, but I am no less busy. I realize that things like laundry, house keeping, etc are things that my working friends can only do after their work day. I am not trying to take away from the hardships of balancing work life and home life. I am merely pointing out that my life isn't a cake walk filled with free time and leisure.

So, to my wonderful working mom friends....

My life was my choice. I am not complaining. I love being able to volunteer. I love the flexibility of my schedule. I am happy to help you out when you need a hand shuttling your kids here or there. But sometimes, I am envious of you. I crave your schedule, your paycheck, your adult life. There. I said it. That is why it hurts when you assume I have it made. We both have our victories, we both have our struggles. Let's respect each other for what we do for our families.

By Request... Some more 5 stars!

2010-09-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

For those of you that asked... thanks for trusting me to recommend some of my favorite books. I thought I would share a few more today. If you are not on Goodreads.com and you love to read, you really need to go there! Its free, sign up for an account and start listing books you have read! I love the to-read category which has proved useful in keeping track of all of the books recommended to me or that I just feel a pull toward. Be sure to friend me if you sign up!

The preceding was not a paid advertisement.

Children of God by Mary Doria Russell

As mentioned in my previous post, this is the sequel to The Sparrow. If you read and love the Sparrow, this follow up is a must read! It answered many of the questions I had left after reading its predecessor.

Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell

Favorite Author Alert! Russell is a beautiful, intelligent, and detailed writer. I am drawn to her books. Do not expect this book to be anything like The Sparrow or Children of God. There is nothing Sci-Fi about it! I took this book along with me on a girl's weekend in Phoenix and read it poolside. Not your normal light and fluffy poolside book, if this had been anything less than fantastic it would have lost me to resort people watching. Luckily, it was amazing and I could not put it down. It tells the story of Agnes Shanklin, a single woman in post World War 1 society who, shockingly, takes a trip to Egypt alone and finds herself mixed up in the periphery of the Cairo Peace Conference.

Where The Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

I hold a degree in Early Childhood Education. I spent the first many years of my employed life teaching preschool and working with children. If my list doesn't reflect some top notch children's literature, I wouldn't be true to myself. Where the Sidewalk Ends takes me right back to my childhood. I can hear my mom reading Dancing Pants to my sisters and I with a silly cadence and style that I mimic when I read it to my children. Silverstein's poetry is a joy no matter what age you are.

Life Of Pi by Yann Martel

While reading through reviews of this book I realized that you either love it or you hate it. I, obviously, loved it. I found the writing rich and fluid. Yet I struggle to find the right words to explain why I loved it. I will leave it to a fellow goodreads reviewer...

"Part fable, part allegory, part memoir, part encyclopedia, and part philosophical text—Life of Pi is all of these things. But most of all, it is a story. And it reads like old-fashioned storytelling—the kind in which a circle of boys and girls sit cross-legged and rapt around an old man who, despite his calm demeanor and soft tones, fiercely commands the room’s attention."

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Five times. I've read Little Women five times between the ages of 13 and 38. The first time, at 13 years, I wanted to be a March girl! Despite all of their trials and hardships, the girls relationships spoke to me. Each girl had her own distinct voice, a personality unlike her sisters, yet they bonded in a relationship only those with close sisters seem to understand. The beginning of the book illustrates their differences and personalities within its first lines....

"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents, grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.

It's so dreadful to be poor! sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.

I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all, added little Amy, with an injured sniff.

We've got Father and Mother, and each other, said Beth contentedly from her corner."

At times in my life I have been each of them... Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth. I think everyone can see a little of each girl in themselves.

Mistakes? I've made a few...

2010-09-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

We are all human. We are not perfect. We all make mistakes. Why is it, then, that I am so hard on myself when I make a mistake? Among my recent mistakes.... forgetting to pay a bill, inadvertently inviting 30 kids to my home (long story), and mixing up my schedule so that we missed much of my nephew's birthday party. All of those things made me mad at myself. Actually, the invite to the 30 kids ("in case of rain, the party will be at our home....") made me laugh. Turns out, on that day, chance of rain is 40%. The icon next to that day on my iPhone is a cloud with rain coming out of it. When I saw it, I began to laugh... delirious, hysterical laughter that probably creeped out my friend, Jennie, whom I was chatting with at the time. (I can never just say "long story" and leave it at that... you always end up hearing the long story!) Back to being mad at myself.... I am working hard to learn that mistakes happen. I need to just "get over it" as they say. Some of my recent mistakes involved scheduling... causing a long session of calendar organization this morning. Checking and double checking appointments, no school days, early release days, holidays, etc... took me over 2 hours. Is it bordering on obsessive when you find yourself making phone calls to your stepmom regarding things taking place in the spring?

As I worked on my calendar and song began to echo in my head... a line from the song "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts. I'm not a huge country music fan, but this song has been one of my favorites for a couple of years now. Here is what I'm hearing....

"Oh, you'd find God's grace in every mistake, And always give more than you take"

If you are unfamiliar with the song, it may sound odd out of context. The chorus says...

"My wish for you
Is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold"

So, "finding God's grace in every mistake", is part of the wish for you.

As selfish as it may sound, at the moment, this is my wish for ME. Hmmm.... find God's grace in every mistake. How do I do that? First step, wade through the anger at myself and let it be. One of my least favorite phrases in the world is the phrase "It is what it is". I don't dislike the meaning behind it, but more the frequency with which is it used. I have said it myself. I hate to say it but it really applies to my reaction to my mistakes. Let it be, it is what it is. Step 2: What resulted from that mistake? Forgetting to pay that bill caused me to go back over my checking account, and realize I hadn't paid someone for a shared gift. (another mistake!) Rather than get mad about it, I can now pay that person and ease any anger they may have at me about it. I can also escape looking like an idiot for being oblivious to the situation. Inviting 30 kids over? You can bet I will have a clean house the day before the party, just in case of rain. In our house, a clean house = parents who are more at ease. A happier weekend. For everyone. My nephew's party? Major calendar scrutiny. Hopefully, avoiding a repeat of the situation.

My wish for me is be a little less hard on myself and a little bit better at finding God's grace.

My wish for you? Just listen to the song.....

Stingy with the 5th Star

2010-09-09T00:20:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how often in life we are asked to rate something... service, entertainment, experiences. I have even had service people tell me "The company treats anything under 5 stars as unsatisfactory." (I'm looking at you AT&T.) I'm sure that would bolster their ratings, wouldn't it? I chose not to fill out their survey based on this vary information... because, well... I am stingy with the 5th star.

Liking something isn't enough. I have to LOVE something with a capital L O V E to give it a 5 star rating. On Goodreads.com you are asked to give a star rating to every book you finish. I have 300+ books on my "read" shelf and only 30 of them have earned 5 stars from me. 10%. And I love books! I would guess that 85% or more have earned the much more common 4 star rating from me. These books I liked or even (lower case) loved. Star ratings are so subjective. Another friend of mine has 5 starred almost everything she has read. It is possible we felt the same way about the book, but our stars tell a different tale.

The reader in me would never leave you hanging without a list of the books that earned my stingy 5th star. For those of you who love books like I do.... here are the first 5.....

1. The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama

I have read this book several times in the past few years. It is an excellent lesson on learning from others, relationships, wisdom, honor, and faith. A well written, peaceful book that lead me to discover the other works of Tsukiyama and quickly made her one of my favorite authors.

2. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

As soon as I finished this book I wanted to call my reader friends and yell "READ THIS BOOK! YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!" I was caught from the beginning... A former Ivy league student, studying to be a veterinarian, joins the circus? Set during the depression, during the prohibition era, the backdrop for this story is a vibrant as the characters.

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

On a trip to a friend's house in Seattle a couple of years ago, this book was thrust into my hands with an order to "Read this!" When this friend recommends a book, I listen. This is the woman who talked me into reading one of my favorite books of all time "The Sparrow". But that is a tale for later in the list....

The Book Thief was a surprise to me. I mean... its about the Holocaust, told from the point of view of the Grim Reaper. It is written for Young Adults, not my usual section of the bookstore. I devoured it. It was new and unexpected, a fresh style and viewpoint. A story told well. I recommend it to everyone.

4. The Namesake but Jhumpa Lahiri

Fascinating. I fell in love with the story of this family, struggling to find a footing in America. Their children, fighting to be typical American teens and adults. The story is layered with emotion and tradition, treating the immigrant experience in a realistic yet respectful way.

*Yes, I have seen the movie. I even liked the movie. But compared to the book... well....it pales in comparison.

5. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

10 years ago, I used to circle Green Lake in Seattle, pushing a stroller and talking non-stop with another stroller pushing mom. This mom is a fabulous reader and a great source when I am wondering "what do I read next?". One morning, while rounding the lake, she recommended that I read "The Sparrow". I declined. I even enumerated my reasons.... 1. It is science fiction. Not my cup o' tea. 2. There are aliens in it. Aliens freak me out. 3. There are aliens in it. 4. Aliens. She kept talking. She brought me the book. She wore me down. I read it... all the way up to the part with the aliens. "I'm scared!" I confessed... "I don't think I can read anymore." She insisted that I stick with it. I am so glad I did.
I don't want to mislead you, this book isn't about aliens. At least not *that kind* of aliens. It is about first contact with a sentient alien species. Contact made by Jesuits. Space traveling Jesuits. It raises questions about religion, faith, humanity, God. I became incredibly invested in the character of Emilio, so much that I read the sequel "Children of God" which is also on my 5 star list. I am sure my write up of this incredible book will NOT make you read it. So trust my walking buddy... she says read it. You must read it.

These books are not in order by any means.... heavens, it gave me heart palpitations just to give them a star rating! I know I said there are 30 and I only gave you 5. If you want to know the rest, I will post a full list.... just let me know in the comments. I won't wax poetic about each one, but I will let you know what I *capital* LOVE.

Now.... GO READ!

Shiny Object Syndrome

2010-09-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

Now that the kids are in school all day I need to make good on some promises I have made to myself. Among them....

Write something every school day. Blog, correspondence, essay.... just write...
Exercise every school day.
Pay attention to my to-do list (making the list is not the end of the exercise... check marks are not optional.)

It is now noon. My kids left the house at 8 am. I am still on #1. Pathetic. I began to make my way up to the computer at 9:30. That is when it started. I call it "shiny object syndrome". My attention can be pulled away from the task at hand by the smallest of things. This morning is the best of examples.

9:30 - Our office space is located on the 2nd floor of our house... before my foot hit the first stair I heard that little 3 note chime from my cell phone, a text! After reading the text I, naturally, decided to... text back, check Facebook, play a round of bejeweled blitz, and read the local news on my cell.

9:45 - Thirsty from my mad cell phone session, I took off for the kitchen to get some water. While in the kitchen I had a snack, cleaned the no longer needed stash of sippy cups from the cupboard, and stared into the refrigerator in hopes that dinner ideas would leap out at me. They didn't.

10:10 - Noticed little orange light is lit on our DVR. Curious what could be recording, I checked our listing of recordings. Noticed the movie "Away We Go" starring Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski still waiting to be watched.

10:15 - Watched "Away We Go"starring Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski.

11:55 - Finally climbed the stairs to the office and sat down at the computer.

11:58 - Read blog posts of fellow bloggers.

12:15 - Played with silver & black metal bracelet I left up here while web surfing last week.

12:20 - Considering the oft given advice... "Write what you know." I know all about "shiny object syndrome" more commonly know as... procrastination.

Now able to check #1 off my list... On to #2.

P.S. - In my Google image search for "shiny object" I discovered numerous articles on "shiny object syndrome"! What the heck?!? I thought I made that up!

Daytime Empty Nest

2010-08-31T10:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the big day. The backpacks were loaded, pictures were taken, lunches made. My youngest, heading to all-day kindergarten, was a little nervous about what the day held in store for him. True to his nature, he played it cool. We began our morning with "I don't like school, I don't like learning, I want to stay at home with you." Not being the homeschooling type, I explained that life just doesn't work that way and pointed out all the great things he could look forward to as a kindergartner. He was unconvinced. My 5th grader was his polar opposite. She was in the car at 7:30 am... we leave for school at 8:00 am. (yes, she came back in) She could not wait to get to school, her friends, and the school year schedule.

8:00 finally rolled around. On the way to school something happened. My eyes got teary. My heart started to ache. My youngest won't be at home anymore! Lest you think I've gone crazy, I have spent much of the summer excited for this moment. Time alone, appointments without finding childcare, quiet.... I have focused on all of the great things all-day kindergarten would bring me. But I had failed to reflect on what it meant for me and our family. It was the end of an incredible phase of my life. A phase that began 10 years ago in Seattle with the birth of Taylor. I don't have "little" kids anymore. I am by myself 8 hours a day. "Mom of little kids" has been my identity for so long that I'm not sure how to operate otherwise. Want to go to MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)? I can't. I'm no longer eligible. I haven't gone in a couple of years, but that is beside the point.... now, I CAN'T. Special lunch dates with Mom, Liam, and Daddy? Over. We loved those, as the second born, Liam rarely gets us to himself. Playgroup? A thing of the past. I didn't realize I would mourn these things... but I am.

Soon I will snap out of my funk and get to the task at hand. I have plans. Big plans for my free time. I have shared them with some, and will share with the rest of you when the time is right. Also on the menu for my year.... knee surgery (assuming the insurance company is on board), household junk-ectomy, and exercise. I will learn to change those things I am mourning into positives. MOPS becomes PTL (Parent Teacher League). Lunch dates for 3 become lunch dates for 2... how can I complain about that? Playgroup will now be called "coffee with friends". I ran across many misty eyed moms in that kindergarten room yesterday... maybe I should start a support group?

Lest you worry, Liam had a great day yesterday. His trepidation was replaced with excitement. "Mom, I already made a new friend" he announced. "We played spies at 3rd recess... we get THREE recesses!" He fell into bed last night and was up and ready for another day this morning. How quickly they adjust... and now, so must I.

A Love Story - Music & Letters

2010-06-12T14:12:00.000-07:00

2 Shoeboxes full of letters. Together, they chronicle the first 9 months of "us" apart. As you remember, "us" wasn't really defined. It was an idea, a question that we avoided even after he drove back to school at the end of the summer.

My stomach did cartwheels when I mailed him my first letter. I had met "the question" head on. What are we? It took forever for him to mail a response. It was 1990, there was no email, no cell phone, no texting... just waiting. He received my letter on his way to a retreat on the coast. His reply described the time he spent, on the beach, thinking about how to answer. He told me of his fear of ruining our amazing friendship, missing out on the college dating experience, and the difficulties he saw in maintaining a long-distance relationship. He was truthful and blunt. I saw it as rejection. So I cried, called my friend who arrived no less than 5 minutes later, and we discussed the whole story over milkshakes. Giant milkshakes. With some perspective, I decided he was right about many of his concerns and tried to mentally move on.

One month later I approached my car, parked in a friend's driveway, and noticed something under the windshield wiper. It was a note, from him, and a cassette tape. The inside label of the tape was elaborately decorated with drawings, song titles, and a poem. Titled "The Purple & The Green" ,for my two favorite colors at the time, the intent of the tape was clear from the first song...

The Purple Side:

Bangles - Eternal Flame
Steve Winwood - Higher Love
Howard Jones - Everlasting Love
The Kinks - Don't Forget to Dance
The Talking Heads - Girlfriend is Better
Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U
Ray Charles & Chaka Kahn - I'll Be Good To You
Simply Red - If You Don't Know Me By Now
Huey Lewis and The News - Power of Love
Journey - Faithfully

The Green Side:

Billy Joel - Piano Man
Hothouse Flowers - Give It Up
Modern English - Melt With You
Ben E. King - Stand By Me
Roxette - Listen to Your Heart
Go West - King of Wishful Thinking
Alphaville - Forever Young
Joe Cocker - When the Night Comes
Bruce Hornsby & The Range - These Arms of Mine

My heart was racing but my head was confused... we had exchanged a couple of friendly letters after the "rejection" letter. Where was this coming from? I don't recall how we ended up finding each other that day, but I do recall this one sentence... "When I couldn't find you today, I didn't know what to do."
I knew exactly what he meant, for in the midst of "moving on", my heart had been feeling that very same thing since he left.

In the first years of our relationship, leaving was a major theme. Our time together was counted in days or occasionally weeks. There was always a dreaded leaving date. We filled those months with letters. Sometimes once a day, a few times twice. There were also more tapes, always some variation on purple and green (Wine & Pine, Amethyst & Celadon, Lavender & Jade...) and each one made me melt.

Occasionally, I will re-read some of the shoebox letters. They take me back to the beginnings of "us" and remind me of who we once were. A few Christmases ago, He took all of the Purple & Green song lists and made them into CD's. Once again, I cried. Our beginnings are chronicled in writing and song... how lucky am I?

Oh, Hello June... I didn't see you come in.

2010-06-11T01:09:00.000-07:00

My head was in the clouds. I must have been deeply entrenched in my own little world. Happily plucking away at the keyboard one minute and the next... June has happened. What the.... where did May go?

In reality, much has happened in my world since waxing poetic about my iPhone in April. Case in point... Apple has announced a new iPhone that is cooler, more fantastical, and more efficient than mine. But that is a love letter for another day. (Mark my words... it will be mine!) I've been reading books, making big decisions (more on that closer to fall), and dealing with a crazy amount of dental work that left my dental coverage coffers empty. More importantly, my baby has graduated from Preschool and will enter All Day Kindergarten in the Fall. Meanwhile, my daughter became a fully functioning "tween".

The minute you get pregnant, well meaning moms come out of the woodwork to tell you... "Cherish every moment, it goes so fast!" Come on moms, admit it, you've said it... I've said it. The thing is, it is entirely too true. I will probably say it again. And again. And again. I've tried to follow the advice and take in every moment. But if you have raised children, or just been in their midst for more than a few hours, you know that there are moments you end up wishing away. I have found that selective memory works best. As far as I remember, my darling daughter's childhood thus far was a breeze filled only with pure joy. That time she went to the principal's office for stabbing her cousin in the hand with a pencil? Fuzzy memories... I might have dreamed it.

As snarky as I may sound about my selective memory, the past 10 years of my daughter's life have filled me with pride I never thought I would know. She is growing into a smart, beautiful, funny, and talented young lady. I couldn't help but get a little nostalgic for that little 4lb 9oz preemie last weekend as we shopped the mall together... for bras. We followed the bra shopping with a stop a Claire's where she got her ears pierced. How am I supposed to hold it together with all those milestones happening?

For now, we focus on Summer. I am still hammering away at our calendar, walking that thin line between "relaxing time off" and "crazy but fun vacation time". As good a problem as it is, puzzling together soccer camp, art camp, vbs, swimming lessons, birthdays, summer camp, Silverwood, Sunriver, the Oregon Coast, and schedule free "just be a kid" time is hard work! Tomorrow is officially the first day of my kid's summer break. The plan? Sleep in, read books, play board games, play with friends. Be kids. Be a relaxed and fun mom. Enjoy each other. Cherish those moments. Slow down time.

Happy Summer!

My iPhone

2010-04-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

I've decided to take a break from the recanting of my mushy little love story to blog about something else I love. My iPhone. If my house was on fire, it would be on my list of things to grab. I imagine it falls just below my children.

My sister once told me that someone asked her if she liked her iPhone. "I couldn't find a non-crazy sounding way to say it changed my life.", she joked. OK, maybe not so much a joke as a humorous observation of a slightly embarrassing truth. I feel the very same way.

A year ago, I was using the bare minimum in cell phone technology... the tracfone. Granted, I did have the tracfone version of the Razr phone, I thought I liked it. I could call people. I could text. It said I had limited web surfing capabilites but I never really figured out how. Its major upside was that the cost was minimal. My problem? I had an iPod touch.

I consider the iPod touch a "gateway drug" into the world of iPhone. I would download my apps and gaze longingly at the ones that didn't really work when you need wifi to keep you rolling. My husband soon became weary of my moaning "If only this was a phone... I could be so efficient with 3G!" I must have been very effective in my constant complaining because on my birthday we went for a mystery drive and ended up at the AT&T store.

So now, I live happily with my iPhone. When I go to bed, it goes on the bedside charger. When I wake up, I grab it before my feet hit the floor. By the time I get up, I have checked the news, the weather, facebook, and my email. On recent vacations, it has become my camera of choice... I give a little on quality in some situations, but it is always conveniently within reach. Along the way I post vacation pictures and comments on facebook, text photos to friends, and email them to grandparents.

I watch movies on it. I use it to entertain my kids while we wait for food, at the doctor's office, etc...., I read books on it (the Kindle app is awesome). I workout while listening to music on it, I track my diet on it. It houses my grocery list, Costco list, to do list, Target list, and any other list I have. I have countless photos on it. I keep my calendar on it and share it with my husband on his iPhone.

His iPhone? Yes. I couldn't keep the joy to myself... I bought one for him. He grouched about the added cost to our plan (he was a tracfone boy) and then proceeded to load it with apps and make it part of his world. I think the only thing he doesn't do with it is talk on it. That's OK with me, we share minutes.

So there it is, my love letter to my phone. I've never considered myself a techno-geek, but this little thing has gotten under my skin. I can't imagine going back. Thank you Mr. Jobs.

A Love Story

2010-04-27T01:13:00.000-07:00

It started without much fanfare. I simply pulled his name out of a hat.

I was 15 years old. He was 16. We had gathered at the home of a mutual friend to spend an evening playing Pictionary. Another big weekend in Kennewick, WA. I recall the passing of the hat... I reached in and read the name on the thin strip of paper. My first thought... "Crap. I got someone I don't know." (I was an introvert during my early high school days.) As we sat down to play, I was clueless to the fact that I was partnered with the person I would later choose to spend my life with.

Nothing really came of that first meeting. Smiles in the hall. A few lunches with mutual friends. Over the next couple of years we became friends. No fireworks, no attraction, just friends.

I spent the end of his senior year wrapped around a bad boy. A boy who cheated on me, who took me to prom while high on some kind of illicit substance, who mysteriously drove a Porsche but couldn't get the cash together for community college. A boy who I thought broke my heart... until I learned what love really felt like.

We still didn't date. He went away to a University in a nearby city. We saw each other occasionally when he would come home. Usually with friends. Rarely alone.

Spring Break - 1990. He ripped up my driveway in his brother's car. I could tell from the way that he walked to the door, he was upset. It was a girl. He put himself out there and asked her to the big fraternity dance. She declined. I was sympathetic. I was a friend. I told him she was foolish, that any girl would be lucky to go with him. I told him I would have gone with him. He told me that I wasn't her. Ouch.

1 month later I was graduating from high school. It was the morning of graduation day and I was preparing to leave for the ceremony. The doorbell rang. Roses and a gift... from him?!? In the box was a t-shirt from the fraternity dance and a note that read.... "I was right, you are no (sorority girl's name), you are so much more."

Deep into summer... I called him to say (Don't judge me... my musical tastes have changed for the better now....) that Kenny G and Michael Bolton would be playing at the Gorge Amphitheater. Tickets appeared shortly after. He has a way of doing that....

He picked me up on a hot July day and we drove to the Gorge. I had packed a picnic and we feasted as we waited for the concert to begin. A clear July night, bright stars, dark sky... I chilled as the sun went down and leaned into him. Sparks? Am I feeling something for him?

We made our way to the car, post concert. It was a crazy maze of cars waiting to get out... we decided to stay parked and wait them out. Seats reclined, we watched the stars and tried to spot the brightest ones. I found one out my window... he leaned close and took my hand.... Yes, Definitely Sparks.

Summer ended. He went back to school. We went back to life apart. We never wanted to have the conversation... are we done? Are we together? What are we? Summer had been perfect. We left it at that.

more to come....

Not Now Sweetie... Mommy is drugged.

2010-04-09T16:24:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, I had a dental appointment. For most people, this is a mundane experience, almost boring. For me... well.... I won't go into reasons, but for me visiting the dentist is terrifying. Because of this afore mentioned terror, I don't see the dentist often. It is embarrassing how much time sneaks between visits. So it should come as no surprise that my dental visit included 2 fillings and an extraction.

Extraction. In the week and a half before the appointment that word boiled between my ears. On the morning of the big day I was shaking, my husband did his best to bolster me up during his pep talk call. He promised me over and over that I would be fine, Dr. Kerr knows what he is doing, and won't it be fun to find out what Nitrous is all about? I spent so much time worried about the extraction itself, I failed to even consider recovery.

I was released from the dentist with that weird puffy lipped numb feeling on the right side of my mouth. In my hand.... a prescription for Vicodin. If you have read my posts about sleep, you may have noticed that I'm not much into pill taking. In fact, I really only take what I have to take. So, Vicodin? This is a whole new world to me. I decided to fill it "just in case". While waiting at the pharmacy, my face came back to life. The pain made me rush home and take the Vicodin, scrapping the "I'll just get by on Advil" idea without even looking back.

So, there I was, at home, on the couch, on a narcotic. My son wanted candy before dinner... sure! My daughter wanted to "google something"... whatever! (I shudder to think of what she found). My plan for the following days? Eat non-chewable foods (I read: drink tomato soup and chocolate milkshakes), Rest while keeping head mostly upright to allow for quick healing (my interpretation: spend a couple of days propped on the couch and read, sleep, read, sleep), Take pills as needed for pain (helloooo white pills! I love you even though you make me sleepy/goofy and you won't let me drive! Thanks for taking my pain away!).

Now, 3 days on the other side of my dental drama, I am feeling a little more ready to join society. My step-mom, sisters, and in-laws were key in my recovery, I truly appreciate all the the child wrangling they did for me. My two and a half days on the couch are fuzzy at best. I may have to read that book again. Hopefully, with a little courage, and this procedure behind me, I can become one of those people who visits the dentist regularly for "boring" visits.

My Funny Valentine

2010-02-15T17:15:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, when we were first married, I shot myself in the foot. Not literally, but in a way that I am reminded of every year since. We were young, newlyweds, and poor. I wanted to be practical and frugal. At the time I was going through an early twenties stage of disdain for "sappy romantic nonsense". I told my new husband that I didn't want him to waste money on flowers, candy, or sensless romantic gifts and surprises. "We love each other...." I told him "Why be goofy about it?"

Fast forward 15 years. I am pushing 40. We have two kids. We sometimes call each other "mommy" & "daddy". I yearn for romance. My husband, who listened well all those years ago, rarely buys me flowers. I don't get many grand romantic gestures. "Okay!" I want to yell. "My bad. I take it back!"

This year I found myself at Costco gazing at the beautiful display of roses. I wanted them. Badly. I called Chris from my cell phone.... "Ummm.... Hi! Do you want to buy me roses this year? I can pick them up at Costco for you...." I got the laugh and an answer of... "Whatever you want to do...." I left them at Costco. When Chris got home, he looked around. "Where are the roses?". "I left them at the store. Turns out, it isn't as fun to buy them for yourself." He chuckled and shook his head... which is becoming an all too familiar response.

On Saturday, he grabbed our youngest and headed to the grocery store to pick up a few things we needed. When they got home, my son comes running to tell me "We looked at a monster Valentine card for you but we didn't buy it!" But when I came into the kitchen to put away the groceries I found a beautiful bouquet of deep red roses already nestled in my favorite vase. My heart filled... he listens so well sometimes, I don't even have to say what I'm thinking.

Later that evening, I kissed him on the forehead and announced I was off to bed. When I touched my pillow in the dark room, there was something on it. I turned on the light to find tickets to a broadway show that I have been wanting to see. Isn't it strange when you find yourself thankful he doesn't listen?

Unfortunately, this story has a sad post script.... In my quest for a romantic Valentine's Day I failed to do one thing. Return the favor. My sweet thoughtful love received nothing. Yet.....

Caught Up in the Holidays

2009-12-06T23:14:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to blog for awhile now. Different topics, thoughts, ideas to share crop up in my head at the oddest times... while showering, driving, excercising.... but I haven't had time to sit down and write. Holiday hysteria has been creeping into my world.

We all see it. Even before Halloween you might walk into your favorite store and find it transformed into a winter wonderland. We scoff, we chuckle, we say - "Really, Coldwater Creek? Don't you think you're pushing it?". You roll your eyes as you talk about it with the salesperson and then go about your day - in my case, throwing together a flower child type costume for my oldest. Halloween comes....and goes. I remember thinking "I should start a little shopping so that I'm not overcome in December." But before you know it.... Thanksgiving.

I spent a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family and some friends of my stepmom. We shared the prep, so all I had to prepare were the turkey, gravy, and cranberry sauce. None the less, I spent a couple of days doing the following things....

snipping herbs ...

brining, then air drying the turkey....

slicing onions for the Balsamic and Carmelized Onion Gravy.....

and making fresh cranberry cherry sauce....

Before I knew it... December was here. I set about shopping with a fervor. Guilt set in regarding our lack of Christmas cards sent out (3 years - no cards!) so card creating, stamping, and addressing was added to the list. My super husband knows I like to set up the tree the weekend following Thanksgiving, and had it set up before I got out of bed Saturday morning. Decking the halls added to the list. Serious calendar scrutiny happens at this point. Christmas bazaars, Nutcracker Ballet, the Living Nativity, Kids Christmas Programs (at school and church), Haircuts (cute kids for Holiday photos are mandatory. Mine are cute... shaggy but cute), Holiday outfits are coordinated and purchased (see cute kids comment...), Parties, etc, etc, etc!!!!!

I arrived at this first weekend of December already out of breath from the holiday shuffle. We haven't even begun to attend all of those calendar events! I was feeling the need to hunker down, watch movies with my family, read, and ignore the crazy holiday frenzy swirling around us. My good friend made the decision for me. She called Friday and simply said "Hey, do you guys want to come for dinner tomorrow? Nothing fancy, lets just hang out, we haven't just hung out in awhile.". Perfect. It set the tone for the weekend. All we did all weekend was hang out. The house is half decorated... OK, maybe 3/4 decorated. Some gifts are purchased.... the stores will still be there next week and online shopping is my friend. Many cards are addressed.... no stamps, no return labels...yet.

What did I accomplish? I snuggled wth my kids. We watched movies. I finished a good book. I fell asleep on the couch with my husband. I hung out with my friends. Yes, I still have stuff to do, but putting the brakes on felt GOOD. A weekend without running around among all of the other holiday crazies was an excellent choice. Maybe we will do it again next weekend. I bet I can get all of that other stuff done during the week. My goal this holday season? Slow down. Use those brakes. A happy, non-stressed mom is the best gift I can give my family.

My Boy

2009-11-18T21:40:00.000-08:00

I sit here before you... well... befuddled. Logic is twisted, patience is tested, there is no up, there is no down. You see, I have a five year old boy.

Sometimes he is darling, sweet, amazingly articulate, and smart as a whip. Check out those eyes, they're killer. His smile has the ability to melt away my anger... most of the time.

Sometimes he is silly, exasperating, roll your eyes tiring. On this day he was asked to make "a small pile" of things to take with us to Seattle for the weekend....

And then there are days when he is... lets face it, unbearable. I don't have a picture of those days. I am too busy hiding in the closet searching for the last of my sanity.

Years from now when I think back through my son's childhood I'm sure it will come back to me in the form of little moments... Hot breath in my ear as he whispers "Mommy, if I kiss you will you open your eyes?"... little folded arms as he looks at me when I tell him he is being exasperating and he responds "NO I AM'NT!"... Belly laughs and screams when I tickle his feet... the lump in my throat when I yell "Have a good day at school! I love you!" and he yells back "I love you too mom!"

I've written in this blog about his eating habits. It was almost a year ago if I'm not mistaken. I was at my wits end... positive he would starve himself. He is still mega picky. He is still small for his age. He still eats one big meal every few days and grazes the rest of the time. But he is not starving. I learned much about his personality by putting a microscope on his eating habits... he is all about control. I am learning how to take a back door approach with him to get things to go my way. Both in eating and in life.

Yes, he makes me crazy, but he also makes me melt. My little boy. I am sure we will learn ways to work with each other as the years go on. The very things that make me crazy are the traits that have the ability to take him far in life. Determination. Drive. Enthusiasm. Persistence. I can deal with a temporary tendency to become unbearable if those are the traits he is developing. So, yes my little man, if you kiss me I will open my eyes.... and see you for what you are. Amazing.

Sleep; or lack thereof

2009-10-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to.

~F. Scott Fitzgerald

I've never been good at getting quality sleep. Ever since my childhood there are occasional nights where I simply never go to bed. Often my insomnia is caused by worry, by stress, or even fear. I have an over active imagination that causes problems when my head hits the pillow. My husband does not understand this. "Turn your brain off!" is his reply when I toss and turn. Excellent theory. Unfortunately, I am incapable of doing so.

Today, I am on day two of very little sleep. I won't go into the cause, I've already shared too many flaws this month. I am flirting with the idea of taking something... Tylenol PM or the like. Sleep aids make me nervous. My husband sleeps like a rock, it seems that when he turns his brain off for the night, no thing, not a babies cry, a train whistle, or a marching band playing 76 trombones at the foot of our bed will wake him up. So it is up to me to be the night watchman. I get up with the kids when they are sick or crying, investigate noises that don't seem right, check the doors when unsure if they were locked. If I am sleeping like Chris, who holds down the nighttime fort?

When people discover my problem with sleep I get lots of suggestions.... they range from pills to prayer. I've explained my pill issues and I always pray. Of course, I am open to ideas, someone may hold the key... until then, I was moved and impressed by this portion of a poem by William Wordsworth.

A flock of sheep that leisurely pass by
One after one; the sound of rain, and bees
Murmuring; the fall of rivers, winds and seas,
Smooth fields, white sheets of water, and pure sky -
I've thought of all by turns, and still I lie
Sleepless...
~William Wordsworth, "To Sleep"

Wishing you sweet dreams tonight... and hoping for my own.

Later Is Now

2009-10-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

Last week I was reading a blog that I follow. The author confessed that she procrastinates... in a big way. I was impressed with her candor; it seemed almost cathartic for her to lay it out there... I Am A Procrastinator. As a person prone to the same flaw, I couldn't help but envy her a little. We procrastinators don't often talk about it, in fact, I try to hide it. She just put it out there. How brave of her to tell the world, "I once tried to clean out my closet, got distracted, ran out of time, shoved it all back in, and put off trying again for 5 years." I am truly inspired.

So here it is, my confession, I, too, am a procrastinator. Illustrating this point nicely is the fact that I had formed this entry in my head late last week. Only now, with deadlines looming in other areas of my life, am I sitting down to transfer it all to my blog. Putting off what I really need to do in order to write on my blog, which has no deadline. I have many type "A" friends. The ones reading this (at least two of you) are probably shaking your heads and my nonsensical approach. I can't explain it. Your way of life seems so much more practical.

So now, after writing it down, I have guilted myself into attending to those items with deadlines quickly approaching. Perhaps blogging it was the remedy. I am under no illusion that I will not put things off again. But maybe, for a small while, I can live a more orderly, calm life. I will have to work on that. Next week.

Salted Caramel Disappointments

2009-10-16T02:17:00.000-07:00

In early September I began the countdown. For what? My favorite fall/winter indulgence, discovered early in the fall season last year...Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. Rich, sweet, creamy, with just the right bit of saltiness, I'm getting dreamy eyed just thinking about it! Sometimes I would order it on its own, savoring its delicious creaminess.... sometimes I would order it with a shot of espresso, a creamy jolt of goodness to get through my day. (Did I mention it was creamy?)

On Tuesday a kindly barista handed me the cruel, cruel news.... NO Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate this year. WHAT???????? Starbucks!!!! Are you out of your mind? Have no doubt, there will be email. From me. Lots of firm yet pleading email.

I. will. not. be. ignored.

Actually, I may be ignored. Who knows? But Starbucks will be hearing from me. That part I can control.

In the meantime, what is a girl to do? My friendly barista suggested ordering a Caramel Hot Chocolate and sprinkling it myself with roasted sea salt and turbinado sugar - that I will have to carry with me. Hmmm... maybe. I am picturing myself explaining my odd looking little baggie of sprinkles to an officer during a traffic stop. It could happen.

I am considering the homeade approach. How hard can it be? I have hot chocolate, I have delicious Creamy Caramel Sauce from Tastefully Simple, I have whipped cream in a can (well, I really don't, but I have the power to purchase it.). All I need is Roasted Sea Salt, available at our fine Richland Health Food Store, and Turbinado Sugar. This could work! This could be good! This could put that deliciously sweet treat at.... my.... beck.... and.... call...... oh this could be bad. So very bad.

How much is too much?

2009-09-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

Scheduling. Over the past few years, schedules have become more and more important in our family. When once, Chris and I would enter a weekend thinking "What adventure should we take on today?", now we need only look at the calendar. Soccer games, meetings, birthday parties, yard work, household maintenance, social engagements, etc. dominate our days like they never did a mere 10 years ago. At times I love it. We have a full life. At times I hate it. I miss the carefree days, when we could just set out, discover new places... wander.

These days, most of our schedule revolves around the two young ones we brought into this world. Our daughter, at the age of 9, dominates our weeks with soccer practice, games, homework, school activities, and playdates. I work hard to keep a cap on the activities. One sport. One extracurricular. I don't know how any child doing more can continue to do well in school. As I write, my daughter is downstairs in her room, hard at work on today's homework, and trying to finish before soccer practice at 5pm.

Whenever I feel like we can't handle more, I think of my friends. I only have 2 children. One of my friends has six. Between her boys, they have 18 football practices a week. I applaud her for keeping up, for letting her kids be invloved, and for not giving up when the schedule looks over the top. They always find a way. But then, I stand with other moms and dads watching soccer practice. Many are like me... schedule watchers, limiters. But there are some who proudly stand behind crazy schedules. One mom last year loved to tell about her daughter's soccer, gymnastics, girl scout schedule. 20 hours of extra activities a week. 20 hours! I bit my tongue all season... but I really wanted to ask how she was doing in school. How do you find time for homework?

I'm really not the type to stand in judgment of other people's parenting styles. I think we all... working parents, stay-at-home parents, grandparents... do the best we can. But on this issue, I just feel like we all have control.

Missing Movies

2009-09-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

Chris and I have always been fans of the Big Screen. We spent many nights during our dating and early married years at the Movie Theater. In fact, when we lived in Seattle, we knew exactly what showing to hit in order to get the matinee price AND the cheap parking rate at Pacific Place. We saw everything.... until we had kids.

I can still see it clearly, a look of alarm crossing Chris' face as he turned to me over the head of our then infant son. "Do you realize it has been over 3 years since we have seen a movie in the theater that wasn't made by Disney, Pixar, or Veggie Tales?" I wish I could say that after that revelation, it got better. But it didn't. Turns out, our kids love the movie theater as much as we do... so our movie budget over the past years has lead us to see movies such as Monsters Vs. Aliens, Kit Kitterage: An American Girl Movie, Madagascar 2, The Tale of Despereaux, and Up. Some are wonderful movies (some are NOT) but it is a fun treat for the family. A trip to the movies for the 4 of us generally costs between $40 and $70, depending on how generous we feel about snacks. (Don't get me started on prices at the snack bar... holy cow!) So a trip to the movies is, as I stated earlier, a TREAT.

In an effort to fill the void, Chris made a couple of big purchases. Purchases at which, of course, I balked but now appreciate far more than I normally let on. One of these purchases was a big T.V.. Many of you, I'm sure, would not consider our T.V. impressivly big but at 52 inches, I do. It is a great size for our family room. Over the past year and a half we have upgraded to HD Sattelite T.V. complete with HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, The Movie Channel, etc... and most recently, a Blueray DVD player. Suddenly, I'm seeing more movies than ever... in the comfort of my own home. Strangely, I prefer it. I can control the temperature (movie theaters are freezing!), the volume (and loud!), I can curl up under a blanket, and eat whatever I want while I watch. And then there is Redbox. Oh, how I love Redbox. $1 a night. We use it when our myriad of channels fail us.

As I said in my previous post... I spent the weekend in a sad state of sick. Here is what my plethora of movie channels offered up... and I watched.

The Rocker - Starring Rainn Wilson of T.V.'s The Office and Christina Applegate (who, once she stopped playing that Married with Children Character, I love!) I laughed that stuffed up, drugged up laugh all the way through... think Beevis and Butthead. Or don't. Sorry.
Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist - I love that kid from Arrested Development and Juno - Michael Cera? He has such a charming, self-deprecating delivery. In this movie, it worked.
The Preacher's Wife - I cried. In my weakened state, I have no defense against sappy holiday stories.
Changeling - starring Angelina Jolie. I cried. I challenge you not to.
Into the Wild - I had read this book several years ago. Possibly even before I was a mother. I remember trying to relate to Christopher McCandless and the reason for his wanderlust. This time, I watched it as a mother. It was a nightmare. A good movie, but horrifying when put in the context of YOUR son.

I hadn't realized just how much time I spent on the couch this weekend. I also read a book and slept a whole lot. Obviously, I didn't do much else!

Sick

2009-09-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

As a little girl, one of my favorite "read-alouds" with my mom was the poem "Sick" by Shel Silverstein. A lengthy two pages long, I can still recite most of it from memory proving that it was an oft read classic. Just like little Peggy Ann Mckay in the poem, I was rather good at playing sick. My mom was a nurse, a fact that makes most think that playing sick would be difficult when, in fact, it was quite the opposite. My mom saw all the "real' sick kids at work, and if I dialed into the correct symptoms, I could weasel my way out of anything I didn't want to do with a well timed cough or stomachache complaint.

Flash forward 30 years... (ugh, did I just say 3o years???) I am a TERRIBLE sick person. I no longer fake it, I look at being sick as the mother of all inconveniences. The first step as I get sick is denial. "I'm just tired from the week" or "Lifting those boxes yesterday sure made me sore..." are my usual excuses. Next, I will finally allow my self to sit a bit and then immediately fall asleep. This is usually followed by my husband "strongly" suggesting medication for whatever symptoms I've been pretending not to have. (For Chris, suggesting goes as far as standing in front of me with pills and water in hand, insisting I take it.... I hate pills.)

This weekend, this THREE-DAY WEEKEND, was one of those times. I dragged through it with stubborn obstinance. "I don't have time to be sick! I have.... my niece's birthday dinner, grocery shopping, nursery duty, etc....!" This attitude is how I ended up sitting in church, plugged head, unable to hear, talking too loudly (or over-compensating by talking to low), and missing every third word people said to me.

So, which is worse? The faking sick little slacker kid or the stubborn mom? I am chalking the first up to the precocious nature of my childhood. Stubborn mom? I guess I need to work on that. My husband has pointed out that if I give myself the proper rest and treatment at the onset, I will get better quickly rather than prolonging the illness. Sigh. He's right.

Double Commitment Fail

2009-09-02T18:21:00.001-07:00

So... Ouch. I had no idea that I was so.... ummm.... flaky?

Not that I have dozens of followers out there waiting with baited breath for my next missive, but gosh, I should have been able to put together a coherent post by now! Now, once again, I feel like we need to catch up. So here goes....

It has been an entire summer since my last post. My oldest turned 9, went to VBS, went to sleep-away camp, went to soccer camp, went swimming, played in the river, and grew taller. My baby immersed himself in Star Wars. Books, movies, cartoons, toys, and especially Legos. I stepped on (and bit back curses because of) thousands of almost invisible legos embedded in our carpet.

Our whole family embarked on a week long trip to Walt Disney World at the end of August. By whole family, I mean my Dad, Step-mom, Sisters and families... it was fabulous. That is never guaranteed when vacationing with 14 people.

So, that was our summer, in very short nuggets of info. Now we go forward into a new school year. My kids both came home on the first day with smiles on their faces and loving their classes. What more can I ask for??? I dreamed all summer of my "free" 3 mornings a week... pedicures, shopping, reading, basking in the quiet. I did bask in some quiet this morning, but really, how enjoyable is quiet as you sit and pay bills?

Commitment Fail

2009-06-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

It is incredible that I haven't posted in almost 6 months. Really, how hard is it to transfer a coherent thought to my blog? Apparently, I was easily distracted by the outside forces that be. What can I say... I thought of you often? I hope we can still be friends?

So, what is on my mind.... This month I turn 37. I admitted that to a woman in the school hallway last week. Her eyes were wide with surprise... You're 37? But I knew you when you were starting college! At least she thought I was younger than I am. So I've got that going for me.... which is nice. (Caddyshack... anyone????) Let me be clear that I am in no way implying that 37 is old. I don't even view 40 as old. Anymore. :) My parents were 40 when I first realized that they had an age. So in my mind... Parent = 40 years old. Liam thinks I am 16. Or 5. Either one.

The kids are now out of school for the summer. Liam is fascinated with Star Wars and all that goes with it... Books, Legos, Action Figures, Toy Light Sabers, and making the sound effects for all aforementioned items. Taylor is reading like her mom. A book or two a week. We went straight from the school to the library on the last day of school to sign up for the summer reading program. Because, really, what could be better than reading? Reading with swag!

The one thing my kids can agree on this summer is soccer. It permeates our world... small beach ball soccer in the house (no soccer in the house rule got lost when I realized they were getting along while they play), official soccer with goals in the back yard. Only 1 month into really nice weather and the goals are demolished. Time to fortify the nets... I would like them to last the rest of summer! The only arguments soccer has generated have to do with who gets to call themselves the Seattle Sounders during play. This can often be solved by a coin toss. Not always though. Liam is 4. Real televised Sounders games get quite a lot of fanfare at our house. Chris and the kids gather on the couch and discuss the game play. I phase in and out as my attention allows... I have low tolerance for sports on TV. However... I LOVE live sporting events. Must be my fondness for crowd watching. Never dull.

This ends my long rambling post. I am renewing my commitment to my blog. Lets hope I mean it this time!

Losing the battle, winning the war!

2008-12-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

My husband and I walked into a trap. A power struggle. Against whom? Our 4 year old son. He is strong willed, he is smart, he likes to get his way. So why didn't we see it coming? His chosen weapon??? Food.

Liam is a small boy. 4 years old wearing size 2 or 3t. You can see his spine, you can see his ribs. He falls into the 12th percentile on the growth chart. On our last visit to his pediatrician, he underwent a full blood workup to determine if his weight issues are medical... they are not. I have a stubborn son.

A typical day of eating with Liam goes something like this... Breakfast: Peanut Butter Sandwich, Lunch: Peanut Butter Sandwich (occasionally some kind of fruit as well), Dinner: Hmmmm... it goes something like this...

Approach to the table... "Yuck, what are we eating?" "I don't like that!" This is followed by a mealtime full of ultimatums, crying, anger, punishment. We are pretty old-school about mealtime parenting at our house. The rule is... you must try what has been prepared for the family. If you try it and don't like it... you are allowed something else. This rule failed miserably with Liam. A thus began the power struggle.

My husband and I were behind the rule. Liam refused to try the food. The more he refused the worse mealtime got. I began to dread dinner. If we were able to get him to try the food, it usually wasn't until the end of the meal. Even if Liam liked it, he still refused to eat it.

I was at my wits end. My little son needed to eat. But I didn't want to cater to him.... Then I spoke with my sister. Apparently, she heard the desperation in my voice and remembered a trick she used with her daughter who chose the same power struggle 4 years ago. She too was at a loss and had the same mealtime rules as we do. Then she read an article that changed everything. It was so counterintuitive - let the child know that if they aren't going to eat what you are serving they must let you know while you are cooking dinner. When everyone is seated at the table it is too late. They must give you a healthy alternative that you can prepare quickly. She said she served my niece what she wanted for several months. The struggle was gone, my niece got bored and began eating with the family. I was dubious. But at the point where I would try anything....

A week and a half ago, I presented Liam with the plan. He now checks with me while I am cooking (yes, 4 year olds can handle that responsibility... it puts him in control). The first night he chose a Ham and Cheese sandwich rather than Pot Roast. He has NEVER asked for Ham and Cheese before so I was surprised to see him gobble it down. After his sandwich was gone, he asked for a few of the things we were eating as well. Our meal was calm, Liam ate a ton, and I figured out something that made me cry. I noticed that our 8 year old daughter was heard. She was able to chat about her day, share her thoughts, and be noticed at dinnertime. We have been ignoring her while fighting with her brother at dinnertime for at least a year. I hate that.

So, the new system has been in place for almost two weeks. I have made about 4 special order dinners. I just bet he is gaining weight. Hooray!

I've ordered the book "How to get your kids to eat... but not too much" from Amazon, hopefully the mail carrier can get through the snow to deliver it today. It came highly recommended by my doctor and my favorite dietitian (who is also my best friend).

After the new year, Liam gets to go to the dr for a weight check.... I can't wait to see if we've made a difference!

Election Night Pride

2008-11-04T23:09:00.000-08:00

I am so proud this evening. Proud to be an American. Proud that I voted. And an unexpected Proud as well.... This evening was teaching night for my husband Chris. He teaches a night class twice a week at the local college. I was home with the kids and had the NPR election map up on my laptop. It periodically refreshed to show which states went to which candidate and kept a running tally of the electoral votes. Tay, my 8 year old, has been learning an amazing amount about this process in 3rd grade this year. She even participated in a mock election, casting her vote for president, governor, and which charity the chapel offerings would go to over the next couple of months. She is completely and totally in the thick of this election. So, as our map refreshed she kept tabs on it. Calculating results, figuring out which state sent Obama's electoral tally up, and cheering as states turned blue. (worrying when they turned red.) I think I got an election update every few minutes. When CNN finally projected Obama as the winner, she cheered and cried with me. We talked about the hope that he brings to our nation. We talked about what a historic day we had just witnessed. As I hugged her and sent her off to bed (regrettably before Obama's acceptance speech) I whispered in her ear how much I enjoyed spending election night with her. And how I hope that she remembers this night for the rest of her life. She gave me a tight squeeze and went off to bed. As I watched her retreat I choked up... .how did my baby become such a mature and smart young lady? I am so very proud.

Make sure you have a winning smile

2008-10-28T12:25:00.000-07:00

My four year old stayed home sick from Preschool today. I love the cuddle time that sick days afford me, I don't get it from him when he feels 100%. So, unwilling to give up the cuddles, but needing to sit down and fill out my ballot, I did both at once.

In Washington State we all vote via absentee ballot, there is no longer a choice between going to a polling place or mailing it in. I miss the excitement of voting day. Chris and I used to walk to the community center near our house to vote, then, proudly wearing our "I voted" stickers, head off for dinner to talk about the issues and races we just voted on. It felt undeniably "American" and patriotic to go through this process, especially during presidential election years. I hope someday my kids are able to experience that same feeling wherever they choose to live.

So, back to the cuddle time kitchen table voting booth..... Liam sat patiently as I read through the initiatives and marked my ballot. I then opened the voters pamphlet to the presidential race spread.

I started to mark my ballot when Liam sat bolt upright and said "Who are you voting for?"

"Obama" I replied. "

"You can't!" He exclaimed "He isn't smiling!"

"Who should I vote for?"

"Him." He said, pointing to a photo of Joe Biden. "I like his smile."

"What about John McCain?" I asked, pointing to his picture.

"Ewww... he isn't smiling either. But I like her...." Points to Sarah Palin.

He was pleased when I showed him that my vote included Joe Biden. Apparently, he has the best smile.

Politics through a four year old's eyes.... it almost makes sense.

Eating like a Filipino Girl

2008-10-26T00:18:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted here.... sadly, I've discovered facebook and am finally in the early stages of learning to limit my time there. Recently, the compressor on our refrigerator/freezer in the kitchen (yes, the main appliance, not the one out in the garage for "overflow") went kaput. That was 9 days ago. Since then we have been waiting for the part to arrive from the supplier and have an appointment for repair on Monday (13 days from the date of original disaster). We have been eating out more than any family would want to. Mostly for lack of room in the outside fridge for basics and leftovers but also because we are all to damn lazy to cart everything through the house everytime we need an ingredient! So.....

I'm dreaming of that day when I can cook in my kitchen again... and my thoughts keep drifting back to the few filipino foods that I actually like. Yes, there is skin on the chicken (dark meat - gasp!) in this recipe. I am tossing around the idea of trying skinless boneless breasts... I think it may be dry. Anything made at home has got to be better for me than all of the dining out I've been doing! I found this - and lots of other interesting recipes on a blog called "Burnt Lumpia". Lumpia is the filipino version of chinese egg rolls or spring rolls. But soooo much better! FYI - most of my young filipino girl cousins are super skinny - and their moms make them eat like this all the time. Better genes than my muddled ones? :)

Chicken Adobo

(adapted from March 2007 Sunset Magazine Easy Chicken Adobo recipe)

1 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
8 bone-in chicken thighs, with skin
5 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and brown the other side, another 5 minutes.

Remove the browned chicken from the saute pan and place in a large bowl. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp of the drippings from the saute pan and return to low heat. Add the garlic and saute until lightly brown and fragrant, about 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with the soy and vinegar, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Return the chicken to the pan, along with any accumulated juices from the bowl, and bring to a gentle simmer. After the liquid reaches a simmer, cover the saute pan and cook for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, uncover the pan and increase the heat to medium, cooking for 15 minutes more or until sauce thickens to your liking. While the chicken cooks, occasionally stir and spoon sauce over the chicken. Remove the bay leaves and serve over white rice. Drizzle chicken and rice with sauce.

There is hope for my sanity!

2008-08-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

A few years ago there was a commercial on T.V. - a couple of children were walking through a store with their heads hung low and super sad faces. The song "Its the most wonderful time of the year" played and behind the children came a parent, pushing a cart and skipping along, happy as can be. They were back to school shopping. Today, I am that parent.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love my kids and I know that over time I will wish for these younger years. But over the past weeks I have heard my share of "MOM! He's hitting!" "But She was looking at me!". ARGHH! A little too much sibling togetherness, a little too much entertaining ourselves at home (gas prices, ugh.), a little too few playdates... totally my fault.

So today, on the eve of the first day of school, I want to thank the wonderful people, the teachers, who will take on my kids, guide their young minds, and in the process, save my sanity!

Five Things I Love Right Now

2008-07-26T10:50:00.001-07:00

Those that know me well know that I can be a little bit obsessive when I come across something that catches my interest. Sometimes it is something totally new, other times I rediscover and old favorite and dive in until I am tired of it again. It drives my husband crazy.

Here are my five most recent obsessions.....

Wii Fit - I'm super competitive. The Wii Fit keeps track of everyone's score and posts them with a crown for the winner. I've got to have the crown. It's crazy. I also love its attempts at friendly banter. Yesterday it asked Liam (age 3) if he thought I looked a) slimmer b)heavier c) more toned or d) the same. Liam chose "more toned". I swear it didn't influence him. God bless my little boy!
Mentos - not those gross fruity mentos but the awesome minty mentos. I can chew my way through a pack in the time it takes to watch a sitcom. Yes, chew. Chris says they are for sucking on. It takes him at least a week to get through the same pack. Who is right? (I hate to admit... his way is probably better. Cheaper and less calories a day....)
Deadliest Catch - Have you seen this? Crab fishing on the Bering Sea... and yes, it is riveting. I know more about crab fishing now than I ever expected to. Oddly, those salty sea captains are endearing. I've spent the past few weeks worried about the health of captain Phil.
Ipod Touch - My love affair with the Ipod has been long running. I've had my Touch since Christmas and, really, they took it to another level. It holds my music, contacts, TV shows, movies, photos... I can even access the Internet! I rented "Dan in Real Life" from iTunes to watch on my flight to Minneapolis. How cool is that?
Peanut Butter and Apples - More specifically, Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter and Cameo Apples. Believe it or not, I never tried this until I was 35 years old. My favorite lunch.

Anniversaries

2008-07-25T12:59:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday, Chris and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. Have you tried explaining the concept of anniversaries to a 3 year old? The best I did was... "Ummmm.... Its like a birthday for your wedding day." This answer was met with great distress. "MOM? Who is going to take care of me while you get married????" OK, maybe the concept isn't ready for Liam's thought process yet. Over a popsicle, we discussed that the wedding already happened so there is no need to distress over childcare.

Later that evening, the four of us gathered to watch our wedding video. Liam asks where he is every couple of minutes. Then... his best question of the day.... "Mom? Do you still have that big dress?" "Yep." A serious look crosses his face.... "Are you saving it for your next wedding?"

Maddox?

2008-07-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

"Can we do something different with his hair? Maybe shorter for the summer?" My question to Kristen our family hair stylist is asked innocently. She responds with "Sure!" (Pause....) Can I do a fauxhawk? He will be so cute... just like Baby Maddox Jolie-Pitt!"

Flattery will get you everywhere. Now... can you make me look like Angelina?

Rude Magnet

2008-07-15T22:34:00.000-07:00

Lately I've found myself to be a bit of a "rudeness magnet". It seems strange to me - I always try to greet people with a smile and make others feel at ease. Nonetheless, I've had some odd encounters in the past week that have bothered me. You should know that my mother was the queen of etiquette. Emily Post had a proud spot on our family room bookcase. That said, my mother would have been shocked at the exchange that happened this past Saturday Evening....

We were attending a wedding of one of my husband's co-workers. We filed through the receiving line and congratulated the bride and groom, shook hands with the father of the bride, and then moved on to the mother of the bride....

Me: (smile) "What a beautiful wedding...."

Mother of the Bride: "I don't even know you."

On the outside I think I was graceful enough to explain the connection between my husband and the groom. On the inside, I really had a hard time getting over it. What ever happened to general graciousness and polite banter?

Monday evening my husband and I had dinner with an old college friend visiting from out of town. Some others dined with us, people I hadn't met before. Everyone was very nice... with the exception of one man. Older than the rest of us, I think he saw himself as a mentor to our 30-something crowd. When he found that my husband is a Graphic Designer, he rolled his eyes. WTF? Seriously, who does that? Luckily, my husband has thick skin and manners. At the end of the evening, rude old guy came over to shake hands with my husband and say "Nice to meet you...". He then literally turned his back to me. Not even a nod or smile. Ass.

These things may not seem as horrid to you as they do to me. I hate to see the manners and niceties leave our society. I hope these are isolated instances and not a sign of things to come. I am by no means a prim and proper "miss manners". But I do feel that we all have a right to a friendly word or polite smile.

Smiles

2008-05-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

I've been having trouble taking the time to blog lately... I wonder if I will ever fall into the habit of posting regularly? I got the greatest email from my sister today and I had to share it. She has a way of bringing positive light to my day, no matter what is going on!

I was baking a cake the other day. I threw in some sugar, oil, and a couple of eggs. After cracking the second egg, I looked into my mixer at this is what I saw! It was totally random and untried for - a little bubble even floated into the place where a nose should be. Makes you wonder how many smiles we miss because we're not taking the time to look :) Love, C

How can that not bring a smile to your day?!? Don't forget to look for those hidden smiles!

My literary life

2007-12-29T21:54:00.000-08:00

I am a serious reader. Anything. Throw it at me and I will give it a try. That said, I WILL NOT waste my time on reading something that I am not enjoying on some level. My wonderful husband gave me three books off of my "want to read... " list this Christmas. I am so excited to dive in!
Today, my sister invited me to join goodreads.com as her friend. It allows us to share lists of what we have read, what we want to read, and what we thought of it. I immediately jumped in and built my list... which is nowhere near complete! I also invited some of my favorite reader friends to join as well. How easy to stay connected! Oddly, today I also found Shelfari - which allows me to display my own bookshelf here on my blog. Both are free! Love it!

The problem with Christmas

2007-11-24T17:41:00.000-08:00

I spent my Thanksgiving evening in line outside Best Buy. They opened the next morning at 5am. It was cold, it was boring, and I questioned my sanity every 5 minutes are so. My reasoning? A laptop and printer bundle for $229. OR a Sony Vaio for $399. Either one. I didn't care. I knew it was a gamble and that I may well drive away empty handed but it seemed like an adventure to try. Best Buy manages their Black Friday Specials like this... at 3 am they come out and hand out tickets for the big items. For instance, there were 15 of the laptops for $229, the first 15 people in line that wanted to purchase one got a ticket. We were camped against the wall with our chairs, thermos, and propane heater - I estimate we were about number 70 in line. At around 2:30 there was a huge ruckus around the corner and a loud voice yelling "I didn't sit on my ass for 4 hours to come home with nothing!" (4 hours??? get in line buddy... try 7!) Suddenly, a large group of people rushed around the corner and formed a huge line right next the door.... essentially crowding the rest of us out. We quickly went from #70 to #170! Needless to say, because of these people who feel like the rules don't apply to them, my friend and I came home with nothing. If I had missed out on the hot deal because I simply had too many people camped in front of me I would be OK with this. But to put in the time and lose it to people who didn't want to play by the rules makes me sad about the the state of the human race. Standing in line in hopes of getting a laptop ticket I heard every obscenity and slur in the book. Two 50+ women almost came to blows over their spot in line. Merry Christmas....I hope they enjoy their laptops. Next year, I shop online.

Life before kids....

2007-10-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

Chris and I had a night off this weekend. His mom literally asked if she could have them overnight on Saturday. Ummmmm... YES! Unfortunately, we don't seem to remember how to function without the kids around. What do we eat? Where should we go? Every decision was a huge deal.... pathetic. Maybe we just need more practice?

Online Gift Cards

2007-06-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

Is there anything more satisfying than shopping on the web with a gift card? I just spent $39.38 at Barnes & Noble without spending a penny out of my bank account. Anyone with a 2 1/2 year old knows that it is not fun to browse a bookstore with your child. You have to know what you want. Get in. Get out. This gift was inspired. Thank you Caro!

The hours of 4pm - 6pm

2007-06-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

I think I may go crazy daily between the hours of 4 and 6 pm. Somehow, I loose all sense of rational thought and spiral into lunatic mom!

Overheard in my home right now.....

"Get off! I want to spin! Because I want to! Spin me around!"

"It's my chair. Dad said!"

"Just hold it and spin me!!!!"

"Liam, do you want to start a band with Tay Tay?"

A band???? Suddenly, the bonus room is filled with impromtu drums and instruments... Liam is lead singer. I am not allowed to look at him while he sings. When I turn my head he says... "Mommy! No Looking!!!" He sings "My name is Grandpa - I like being big! Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa... I make my own cane for me."

Sounds like a hit.