Its a Dodi's Life

Two Women

2012-01-14T19:48:00.000-07:00

I never imagined, when you met a few years ago over coffee, that your lives would intertwine is such a way. My sister-in-law, "K", and my good friend, "M". In the last two days you have both lost someone significant to you. "K" lost her older sister yesterday, "M" lost her best friend today.
I'm thankful you are both in my life. I'm thankful that you were interested enough in the person you had gotten to know over the internet that you wanted to meet for coffee. I'm thankful that my family and my friends sometimes mesh, because it's so cool for me. What I'm not glad about is that something so sad has happened in both of your lives...and so very close together.

I am thinking of you both tonight. Sending you both so much love. Shedding tears for your sadness, and wanting you to know that a shoulder to cry on is simply a phone call away. May God and time ease your pain, and may you know that there are so very many people that love you.

*****
Molly Mahoney: Are you dying?
Mr. Edward Magorium: Light bulbs die, my sweet. I will depart.
*****

Don't be afraid

2012-01-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

I want my daughters to know that if you don't show the world who you really are, how will anyone recognize what is so perfectly perfect about you?

It's 2012!

2012-01-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

It was a good year in 2011. We survived a tsunami (not that we were in any real danger, but HEY... we were in a tsunami evacuation. How many Colorado girls get to say that??) Along with that, our first vacation in Hawaii. Which our kids LOVED. DD1 took to the ocean like a dolphin, DD2 discovered how much she hates sand in her pants. We all loved shaved ice, and Husband's family was the perfect addition to paradise.

In 2011 DD1 started middle school, and has had a wonderful time. DD2 is in 3rd grade, and is growing up so fast it's amazing. Honestly, she's not a "little kid" anymore. Weird!

Sadly, my aunt died in 2011. Although I'm sure heaven counted 2011 as a complete success because of it happening. My uncle, my mom, their siblings, her parents, their aunts and uncles, cousins, friends... that sound of trumpets and rejoicing wasn't in your head. You could hear them from here. No one I know had more people waiting for them there, and at the same time left so many people here to miss them and think about what a positive impact one person had on the world. The world is a better place because she was here.

2011 was a year that I made a lot of decisions about my personal future. Ending some relationships, but keeping the important relationships in my life close to my heart. There isn't enough time in the day for hate, jealousy, and things that hold you back. People who don't want the best for you, and for whom you don't want the same in return? It's best to put those relationships aside.

2011 was a year of learning. I learned that tearing the kitchen apart just before Thanksgiving was a bad idea, although to be honest I think that was an outcome I probably could have predicted without actually doing the legwork. I learned that I'm never going to make the Christmas Card mailing cutoff date... so from now on its going to be Happy New Year cards only from here on out. I learned that I should have taken notes three years ago when oldest daughter was in 4th grade math, so now that youngest daughter is there it wouldn't cause me to rip the rest of my hair out. (Would that we'd had three children so that I'd have had a chance to get something RIGHT for a change.)

2011 was the year that Husband and I celebrated 13 amazing years of marriage together by taking the kids up to Breckenridge for the 4th of July weekend. We enjoyed the time away so much we now think of it as a family tradition, and are already planning the trip to Breckenridge for our 14th anniversary.

2011 was a year of lots of travel for Husband, lots of driving for me. It was also the year that we decided we needed to be serious about either planning a move to the part of town where the kids schools/activities were, or move their schooling/activities this way. We'll let you know which decision we went with in 2012. (There are actually plans that go in both directions, we've got some thinking to do... but that we've started putting things in to place to help us make these decisions is a big step for us.)

2011 was a year when we had some really special house guests, the time we spent with all of you was awesome.

2011 was the year my oldest daughter FINALLY got to experience a Harry Potter move on the big screen. (If you haven't read the books, you don't get to see the movies!) She managed to get through the last two books in time to see Part II of book 7 in the theater opening weekend, and I was so psyched for her! Her BFF got to join us, as she'd put the book work in too.

2011 was the year I returned to work. Part time, but I made the leap. I like the company, work with very creative people, love my boss, and I think 2012 will be a good year work-wise for me. I'm excited.

2012 has a lot to live up to... lets get this party started.

The Christmas Beaver

2011-12-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

Some families have very normal traditions. An angel on top of the tree, a special Christmas Eve meal, a story told around the fire during the holidays.

Our family, too, has a tradition - although not as conventional.

Ours, you see, involves a Beaver.

A scented Beaver.

THIS scented Beaver:

It's a little blurry here, but you get the idea.

Probably 7 or 8 years ago, my friend (JS) and I went to a holiday craft fair. In the 16 years that I have known JS, we've missed this craft fair only twice. Every couple of years we go crazy and make some less than stellar purchases, caught up in the excitement of getting ready for Christmas. This particular year, 7 or 8 years ago, was one such year.

We happened upon these darling women who had some very unique crafts going on - they had taken stuffed animals and dipped them in scented wax. So, they looked sort of like resin animals, but smelled really good. I, wanting something "Christmassy", concentrated on the animals with Santa hats and smelling of cinnamon, cloves, evergreen - you know... Christmas smells. There was this really cute little Beaver, about 4 inches tall, and darling. This was my purchase.

A scented Beaver.

The ramifications of which would not hit me until about a week later. When I mentioned to someone that they should smell my Beaver. At which point I knew it would become a Christmas favorite.

Which it is. Particularly of my young daughters - who have no idea on earth why this is as funny as it is. They love to bring out the Christmas Beaver, giving it a place of honor each year on the piano. Which is always funny, but now makes us howl with laughter. (And here is where our newest Christmas Story begins...)

Once upon a time JS and I took our daughters with us to a Holiday Craft Fair that we try to hit every year. The year was 2009, and my youngest daughter was not quite 7 at the time. We were having a wonderful time with our kids, running from craft booth to craft booth, dodging all the 4 million or so people that were there that night. (I had never seen it so crowded) When we stop at a booth with candles. So many candles - and the girls want to stop and sniff each one. Now, you know how sometimes - when you're in a really crowded place - all of the sudden a silence will hit? Like it gets REALLY quiet for just a few seconds? Well, in that unexpected lull was the precise moment in time when my youngest daughter decided to tell me, in her very loudest voice, "Hey Mom! This candle smells JUST LIKE YOUR BEAVER!" I kid you not when I tell you that all 4 million or so people swiveled around to try to see the woman with the holiday scented beaver. My friend, JS? She and her daughter ran from the booth, screaming with laughter. Once I picked my jaw up off the floor I smiled, looked down at my daughter and said, "Well yes, it certainly does" and, trying to salvage what dignity I had left, put the top back on the candle she was smelling, grabbed her hand and headed off to hunt down JS, who was halfway down the damn aisle by then.

Perhaps the most embarrassing moment of my entire life.

Solidifying that darn Beaver's presence at every Christmas for the rest of my life I suspect - as my husband now encourages the placing of the sacred Christmas Beaver in it's place of honor each year.

He'll probably have it buried with me.

Happy Solstice: Half of the Real Reason for the Season

2011-12-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

OK, OK - I'm not here to knock Jesus Christ. I'm a appreciative fan - and am not trying to start a religious war by saying his birth shouldn't be celebrated. It should... but lets face it, he probably wasn't born at this time of year. Springtime is most likely when it really happened since shepherds were in the fields day and night only during lambing season - and I don't know the bible very well, but I'm pretty sure that at least Paul mentioned the shepherds were in their fields at night. I have studied neither theology or ancient cultures in any depth, but from my reading I have learned that celebrating Christ's birth in December with Merrymaking and Parties? Most likely THAT is because of the Winter Solstice. Or, rather, what the Winter Solstice signifies.

Celebrating the day after the shortest day of the year - the passing of the Solstice... welcoming back the sun. The days get longer, which in our society of electric lighting and central heat isn't such a big deal. But if you're a peasant or a farmer that can only get stuff done by the light of day, and the nights bring cold and the need to stoke a fire all night long to stay warm? It's a pretty big deal. Almost ALL pagan cultures celebrated some form of this passing. Call it Yule, Hogmanay, Mōdraniht, Sol Invictus, or a hundred other names... it is how the "New Year", the rebirth of the sun was celebrated. And it was important. So important there was going to be a lot less converts to Christianity if they were told that this particular celebration wasn't important. Christianity needed to incorporate it with its own twist in order to get converts.

These weren't societies of instant gratification. People were willing to make sacrifices of the very currency that sometimes kept them alive, and things didn't get better overnight. It would be months of cold and starvation (things they had spent a lot of time preparing for) before things actually improved enough to make a big difference. However, every day that they had a few minutes more of sunshine was a reason to be thankful to their gods.

It isn't groundbreaking to say that the early Church decided that they needed a big holiday to help the pagans over to their side. The early Church didn't celebrate Christmas the way we do - to them it was simply a "Feast Day." A day to go to Church (get out of the house in the better of your two outfits), celebrate the Mass, and then have a special meal at home in honor of the feast. Since celebrating the return of the sun was a pretty big deal, the Church needed a pretty big occasion to nail on to this Feast Day. The birth of Jesus Christ? Well, other than the death of Jesus Christ - which is the biggest Feast Day in the Church, the birthday was one they weren't already celebrating and since it had been two or three hundred years since the occasion had actually happened? Who knew the real date? Following the Winter Solstice was a pretty good day to pin to that Feast. In fact, in the early Church, the feast day of Christmas kicked off the 12 days to the real celebration... the Epiphany. When the Biblical Magi turned up to celebrate the word of God - the announcement that the savior had been born. Twelfth Night was, for a long time, the big event. Thus distancing the true reason for Christian thankfulness (the Word of God) from the Feast day of the Birth... yet tying in the pagan celebration day quite nicely.

So. long story short, they came together. One half pagan, one half Christian. And the Feast Day / day of Merriment made everybody happy. Jesus would have been on board with that, he was all about the happiness of mankind. And really, when you get to the age he was when he died? Who really cares about their birthday anyway? You're kind of over it by then. Human nature, getting older, looming death - it all plays in to that feeling of "You're only as old as you feel" trumping "Can I have a BIG party this year???" Actual birthdays cease to really matter.

So, as I sit here watching the snow pile up outside and thank God I am in a house with electricity and heat (and fairly soon, a usable kitchen), I don't want to offend Christianity or dishonor anyone who celebrates the Birth of Christ this week. (My family celebrates Christmas.) Christianity had to do what it had to do to get converts - they had an agenda... and that it probably really ISN'T his birthday this week isn't all that important. He WAS born at some point during the year, and my kids have had birthday parties a month after their actual big day. I like to think of Christmas as a gift the early Church gave to the Pagans. They didn't take away their holiday, just gave them a new reason to celebrate... Oh, and eternal life. Bonus.

9 going on 15

2011-12-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

Oh my holy hell - was it this bad when the older one turned 9 and I've blanked it all out? Honestly, this child, my Darling Daughter #2, the light of my life? So NOT the light right now.

If at all possible, more erratic moods than her (almost) 12 year old sister. And I'm hoping with all hope that this isn't hormones - because if she gets her curves and her cycle before her older sister? All hell will break loose around here.

She's got a friend over today - her BEST friend. Who, for 70% of the time, has only been playing with DD1. Why? Because DD2 has been in her room "thinking about her behavior" several times already today.

She was SUCH a good baby.

But right now? I wish her door locked from the outside.

Bah Humbug, sorta...

2011-12-11T22:39:00.000-07:00

I'm not completely a Grinch, but sort of more this year than other years. Normally I'd be all up for decorations, only this year - with the remodeling in mid swing - it feels like just one more thing we'd have to clean up. Almost like, "Can we just skip Christmas this year? I'd be willing to make it up next year with double Christmas." I'm not wanting to bake (which isn't so new), I'm not wanting to decorate, I'm not wanting presents, I'm not wanting to shop and spend money.

Because when you're changing things in the house on the scale that we are, even though not a ton of money is going in to it, it all feels so... I don't know... costly? Like you really notice how much you spend on things, and when you are trying to find a place to put all of those toys they already have, and you clean out your cabinets and find appliances you didn't even remember were there... it seems like we don't need more stuff.

And, like it or not, sometimes it feels like Christmas is really all about the "stuff". The decorations, the preparation, the food and gifts and wrappings. I've not been playing holiday carols at home, except for the tree and the gingerbread houses the house is undecorated (and covered in drywall dust no matter what we do). I'd consider it a successful Christmas if I got my cabinet bases all stained before the big day (upper AND lower) - and we have company coming to stay with us right after Christmas. Our dining room is full of what normally resides in cabinetry, and I hope to God our upstairs hall bathroom is usable by then. If not? We're going to be in a world of hurt regarding getting those guests showered.

I haven't plotted our Christmas card strategy yet, which means I haven't even snapped a picture of the kids for the card.

So, Bah Humbug, sorta...

I mean, today is the first day that really felt like the holiday was on it's way and might be worth celebrating. The annual Gingerbread House Decorating Party thrown by our dear friends was this afternoon, and the neighborhood ornament exchange thrown by T.Z. was this evening. So much fun - and so festive. Maybe it'll be enough to kick my behind in to high gear and get some holiday prep work done...

I'll pull it together for the kids, but honestly? I'd like to not accumulate more "stuff" this year.

My Husband? Is a BAD Ass!

2011-11-17T11:48:00.002-07:00

Having some work done around the house. Having a wall taken out in the process.

I just hit the drywall with a hammer. Like hit it HARD with a hammer. And had to hit it hard with a hammer like four times to put a hole in it.

I've seen my husband put his fist through drywall. In one try.

That is pretty bad ass when you think about it. (Granted, he was drunk and broke his hand... which he totally deserved don't get me wrong - but still... in a weird way? Impressive.)

That is all.

She is of my husband's people...

2011-11-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

Conversation about 10 minutes ago, as the Husband and the daughters are getting ready to leave for gymnastics:

Husband: Can we bring you back any lunch?
Me: No, I'm good.
Husband: Not even a green chili cheese burger?
Me: No, thanks. I'm OK.
DD2: How about a hug?
Me: A hug would be great!!

And then? DD2 walked over to HUSBAND and gave him a gigantic hug.
We all burst out laughing... sarcastic little bugger.

I am no "health nut", but...

2011-11-06T11:19:00.000-07:00

Y'all know me. I've basically got an inner GPS to the nearest fast food joints in almost every area of the city. I love a good McDonalds French Fry, a Wendy's Double Stack, and practically anything from Sonic... but, even I have to admit I sat up and took note of the KFC commercial that announced its newest offering, the "Cheesy Bacon Bowl." Because really? These KFC "Famous Bowls" already seem so absurdly unhealthy (mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, popcorn chicken, shredded cheese) that adding bacon to the mix is like throwing fuel on the fire.

I can only imagine this is the idea that came out of some Conference of American Cardiologists.
Keynote: (loudly. Think Oprah melded with Evangelical Preacher) "Patients are on the decline, how do we bring them back? Let's throw it around the room - Kurt, what do you have?"
Kurt: "More fat in school lunch?"
Keynote: "a touch obvious. Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth: "Let's bring back Trans-Fats! We could infuse them with Vitamin D and Calcium!"
Keynote: "I like it! A little complicated, but good. We'll get R&D working on that. In the short term, though, how do we pump up the volume and get our patient count up? Baxter, give me something here."
Baxter: "How about adding Bacon to everything? Bacon is popular. Add it to the fried food people already eat? Maybe you could just batter and bread the bacon and deep fry it?"
Keynote: "Now we're talking! But let's start slower than that. Let's just add it on to some already obviously over saturated and unhealthy. Call marketing - get them on this!"

And voila! The new Cheesy Bacon Bowl from KFC. Mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, popcorn chicken, shredded cheese and bacon bits.

Roughly 740 calories for $3.99? BARGAIN. Really? If you're going to consume that many calories? Head to Cheesecake Factory. At least you know it will be completely delicious.

Note: I will tell you that if anyone does come out with a product like "popcorn bacon"? I'm gonna try it. Just sayin - that would be something I'd have to do.

the kitchen

2011-10-27T20:45:00.001-06:00

Possibly the ugliest room in our home: the kitchen. Builder's 1987 oak cabinets, ivory Formica counters, original vinyl floor - complete with rips and burns. Classy. Since kitchens help sell houses, we needed a re-do (10 years ago we needed a redo!), and we had a budget.

These are the counter tops. Bought them from Home Depot, who is having a 10% off sale right now on Wilsonart Laminate counters... so with the extra money we got a fancier edge. (Full Wrap Ogee, if that means anything to you... to me it just "looked nicer")

This is the tile for the floor and the back splash. It's actually a lighter, sandy color porcelain tile (not "pink" like the picture), but has slate profile. My contractor and I both walked right to it - and he said, "It's is never this easy." Basic 16x16 tiles on the floor, 8x12 staggered tiles as a back splash (NOTE: THIS IS NO LONGER THE TILE. BECAUSE IT IS PINK AND UGLY.)

I know I was going to paint the cabinets... but with our not changing the appliances (which are white) I actually wanted to go darker. I'm going to try gel staining over the oak to get a darker, richer color. Not as dark as below, but this is an example of gel stain over oak.

Moen Faucet in stainless steel, spot free.

No decision on the hardware yet, except that it will be in the same metal as the faucet. I've picked a white, cast iron Kohler sink - very similar to what we have right now.... but new and pretty.

Wish us luck! The kitchen should be done before Thanksgiving... nothing like pushing a date like that!

A school dance...

2011-10-07T22:09:00.000-06:00

On Thursday, directly after school for one hour in the school gym it happened. DD1's very first school dance. She's been looking forward to school dances for a while now.
She? Had a ball. She hung out with her friends, they all danced together, they watched the boys all be silly, they giggled, had snacks, were seen, outfits were complimented: pure joy.

She can't wait for her next school dance.
She can't wait for that much fun with her friends after school.
She CAN wait for a boy to ask her, because her response afterwards was, "Mom, you were right. Dances really are more fun when you just go with your friends." (Not that she has anything to compare this to... but I'm so glad she has such good friends.

It's all good.

...and sometimes I get it right...

2011-09-06T19:44:00.000-06:00

OK, DD2 was feeling a little "left out". We've been making a fuss over DD1 starting middle school: she got her phone, a pair of really awesome cool jeans, a darling backpack and matching lunchbox, extra shopping... it's been a little bit of a big deal. Little Sister sobbed when Big Sister got a phone. She cried herself to sleep that night.

So, at the end of the first week of school I have an inspired thought: DD2 needs a new lunch box. How about I swing by Vera Bradley and get her the one she was admiring when we where there picking up sister's backpack and lunchbox. I'm loving the one her sister got, and think this would be a wise purchase... and it will make DD2 SO HAPPY!

Yes. Or NOT HAPPY AT ALL as the case may be. See, when told she had a present waiting for her at home, she immediately got excited. Which I then fed with remarks about how pleased she will be, and how I know she's been needing a little something to make her feel special about going back to school too. Apparently she got it in to her head that she'd be receiving a set of these:

...instead of this:

So, when presented with this lunch box, that is not an inexpensive purchase considering she is 8 years old, she threw a mother of a tantrum. As she threw it on the ground screaming, "I wanted SQUINKIES!", my jaw absolutely dropped. I picked it up, put it back in the bag and said, "Fine. This can be returned. If you don't want it that is fine. You won't have it." Turned my back on her and dropped the subject. Refused to engage her. Sent her to her room when her crying started to get on my nerves.

A few days later I still hadn't gotten over the the mall to return the unwanted lunch box. She noticed the bag. "Mom, when we pack my lunch tomorrow can we use my new lunch box." Me, "It isn't yours, I just haven't returned it yet. No."

Come Friday morning she looked over at the bag (which I was planning on taking back that day after drop off), and said, "You know, I really do want that lunch box. I do need one." I said, "So you don't think I should return it?" She smiled (thinking she's winning at this point), "No. We should keep it." I smiled back at her and said, "Fine. Instead of my returning it to get my money back, you can buy it from me."

Shock. Betrayal. Horror. Tears. "No! I want the lunch box! I don't want to buy it! You already bought it!" Me: "Yes, and after your behavior regarding this gift I purchased for you, I've decided that you aren't grown up enough for a very nice lunch box and it should be returned. However, if you'd like to pay for it, I'll sell it to you." She was SO mad at me when I dropped her off at school with her paper bag lunch.

Cut to that evening, "Mom?" "Yes, DD2?" "I want to buy it. The lunch box. How much is it?" At which point I told her to get the receipt from the bag and read it to me. Then she went to her piggy bank and brought me the money.

And now it's hers. Ironically, I went in to it with the actual plan of spoiling her a little - and it backfired in to a pretty good life lesson. How often does that happen?

I found this great writer...

2011-08-29T21:58:00.002-06:00

I love quotes. I especially love quotes that express how I feel at a certain place in my life. This is a place in time that I needed words to help me endure... sometimes you just need someone else to say it, to find the words they used, to know that the human condition isn't unique to you. That this pain has been lived through before you, dealt with by others, and people will survive it in the future.

I think I would have liked to have met this woman, and I think I'm going to have to read through her writings.
****

There's an awful lot of blood around that water is thicker than. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

The real is very real to him, the unreal even more so. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

Neurotics always feel as though they were going way up or way down, which is odd in people going sideways. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

Likely as not, the child you can do the least with will do the most to make you proud. ~Mignon McLaughlin

Middle School

2011-08-23T18:58:00.000-06:00

I will admit, I was worried. I thought about her the entire day yesterday. Husband drove her to school (the first time I had EVER relinquished that duty, First Day is a big deal) on the grounds that the last image in her head before she entered the new school should NOT be of her mother sobbing. I had to agree, perhaps not the confidence boost she needed.

So he did the deed. Drove her to school, dropped her off, and DROVE AWAY. Like it was an ordinary day.

It was a long day. I spent the day with a friend to help pass the time. Mani/pedi/lunch/shopping... time for pickup!!!! I was waiting with baited breath (and some new clothes I couldn't help buying for her) as she bounced over to the car, announcing "This was the best first day of middle school EVER!" She liked her classes, she didn't have a problem finding anything - except her bff at lunch time. That didn't go so well... but she did end up finding some kids from her elementary school to eat lunch with.

After we picked up little sister from the elementary school we decided to go sign DD1 up for classes at her new dance academy. While we were there she and another girl pointed at each other, smiled, and said, "Hey!" Seems it was the girl that sat next to her in Science, and they immediately started chatting. Her mother was very nice, and DD1 and new friend will be in tap class together. Squeal from both girls, huge smile and sigh of relief from both mothers.

Today she managed to find bff for lunch together, and liked her teachers even more today than yesterday. There is a cute boy sitting behind her in Spanish, and she found out she gets to make something from sheet metal in "Technology"... so she's sooooo excited.

Turns out the most difficult thing about middle school so far?
Finding time to use the restroom.
SO not the conversation I thought we'd be having, but Thank the Lord this is the most difficult thing so far this week!!!

She's happy.
I'm happy that she's happy.
It's all I want.

She's got me thinking...

2011-07-07T15:35:00.003-06:00

DD1 heads to "middle school" this August. She goes back and forth on being excited. She's looking forward to meeting new people, is nervous about how hard it might be to stay organized and get good grades, and has already told me that I may never have to pack her a lunch again as they have so much variety to choose from.

But, when you ask her what she's looking forward to most??
"School dances."

Because while she knows that she isn't old enough to have a "boyfriend" yet (house rules, age 15), she knows that dancing with a boy wouldn't be off limits - and that is about as close to one as she will get for another few years.

If I have anything to say about it.
And exactly WHO do I think I'm kidding about that?

Another goodbye...

2011-07-05T23:22:00.001-06:00

Last week my Aunt Dorothy left this life.
Tonight was her rosary.
Tomorrow we formally say goodbye.

She was my mother's youngest sister, and one of three people I was named after.

My Aunt Dorothy was a "fixer". Whereas some people meddle where they don't belong, my Aunt Dorothy was one to hop in a help fix a problem... knowing that she always belonged. She just did.

When Husband and I wanted to get married outside of the Catholic Church my parents did not take the news well. (One of the many problems being that Husband hadn't been granted his annulment yet, and the Canon Lawyer wasn't trying to hurry the process along any.) Aunt Dorothy, bless her heart, was there with a solution so my parents and I didn't kill each other. She called me up and arranged for Husband and I to meet her friend, Deacon Mike, who counseled us and helped us through the situation. While it didn't completely solve the problem for my parents, it did help us get through the wedding, and for that I will always be grateful.

I had a session with my therapist the day my Aunt passed away. (My standing appointment) She asked me if my Aunt and I were close, and I said "yes, yes we were," and then I paused. "Of course, if I were to be completely honest with you, anyone that knew her would answer that question the same way. Everyone she ever met, I think, thought they were close with her. That was one of the things that was so amazing about her."

My Aunt was one of the most loving women in the world, and one of the most loved in return. I wish I was more like her, she was a giver. She loved, she cared, she counseled, she befriended, she prayed... and she made a difference.

Would that everyone who has ever lived make such a difference as my Aunt Dorothy. The world would be a much better place.

I will miss you, but I know you are in a better place - with your brothers and sisters, your husband, your parents, and so many others who your life has touched... I'm guessing it was one of the biggest Welcome Home parties heaven has ever seen. I imagine the hugging alone took hours. Someday I will see you again - healthy, happy, and glowing with the love that is you.

I love you.
I will miss knowing you are here.
I will pray for your family, because to lose you is huge.
You were truly one of a kind - in the best way possible. I am very lucky to have your name, I hope someday I can do it justice.

Goodbye. For now.

Technology 1, Dodi 0

2011-06-05T13:34:00.005-06:00

I think God invented technology to remind me that I am WAY older than I actually feel. See, in my head I'm in my early 30's... God seems to resent this illusion and wants to give me a reality check.

For Christmas this year I received an Apple iPod iTouch. Love it. Love it beyond words. I listen to my music, my books on tape, read my kindle, keep my guided meditation on it, watch movies, facebook, twitter... LOVE it.

About 2 weeks ago I had to upgrade to a Smart Phone. Thought a LOT about it, was very careful about my research, and decided that I had to go Android for work purposes. Android works better with the google apps stuff the company I work for uses, and I'm on skype all day long. Since I didn't need the entertainment apps I wasn't worried about that - for that I still had my Apple. (Plus, I need it to be a hotspot for when I'm away from wifi availability... and having an iPhone seemed redundant if I already had an iTouch.)

Easy enough, right. Now I have both platforms to work on - truly I own the BEST of both worlds.

Right.

Except instead of mastering two different platforms? My over 40 brain now can do nothing but stare at the device in my hand for a full minute before I can do ANYTHING with the dumb thing. I have to remember where I am, what I am doing, how to do it on this particular machine, and how come the screen looks different? Where is the app I am looking for - what?? Crap. I know that button is here somewhere! How come I can't wrap my brain around all of this? I'm (fairly) intelligent. I "get" how both of these things work in theory. I did research on this. WHY can't my brain just switch in to whatever gear I am needing at that moment? My brain used to perform like a well oiled machine (this may be an exaggeration... but it's my blog and I'm allowed a little bit of fantasy regarding my own smarts.) What the hell happened?

Really... what the hell just happened?

Learn something new every day

2011-05-28T14:24:00.001-06:00

In this season of graduations there are many speeches being given. "The world is your oyster," "you have your whole life in front of you," "never stop learning." These are some of the many famous lines and clichés that will be uttered in the many thousands of speeches given all over this great land of ours.

"Never stop learning" is probably one of the easiest of these lessons to take to heart. After all, "you learn something new every day" is one of the most popular colloquialisms in the world. Why just today, while out running errands I learned that porkchop sideburns on a bald man don't particularly appeal to me.

So, maybe not what MY valedictorian had in mind...but it's something.

Short Term Memory Kerfluffle

2011-05-14T16:02:00.003-06:00

So I don't believe I've every discussed this on the blog, I'm on a medication for anxiety. It works well... between the medication, my learning how to meditate, and seeing a behavioral therapist I'm feeling a lot better about everything. Miles from where I was a year ago - waiting to find out if I had MS and finding out it's just a crippling case of anxiety and my panic attacks are "unusual" to say the least. (And yes, I'm blessed that it's only anxiety... that much I am thankful for - that and the wisdom of the neurologist that spent time making the diagnosis.)

Heck, I even felt like I could take on a job... and I'm liking it.

The medication does have some drawbacks, however. In that it messes with my short term memory. (Which wasn't that perfect to begin with, truth be told.)

For example, I had to call my husband last week because... well, "because" is inferred in the conversation that follows:

D: "Hi, it's me. You're picking up DD1 from Girl Scouts today so I can do what?"
Husband (who is WAY too used to this kind of phone call): "I'm picking up DD1 from DANCE today so you can go pick up the dog's medication."
D: "Oh. Hmmmm. Yep, thats it."

Yea. Good thing I happen to remember all the great movie lines from when I was in my 20's, but parts of my present life are a complete mystery to me.

(I do wonder if I'll suddenly remember about the kids schedule and dog's medication in 10 years, when it isn't short term memory anymore - but won't be at all useful? Wouldn't that be handy? Is that how memory works... ?)

So happy...

2011-05-03T08:53:00.004-06:00

Really, just so happy on this vacation. Being in paradise does take away all the stress! What I felt on this trip was intense love for the family that Husband and I have created, gratitude at being led to the place I am in my life right now, and happiness. I have a really blessed life - and I've been stopping to appreciate that more since our vacation.

(...and I want to be that tan again! Being tan, strategic placement of a child, and sticking my neck out like an iguana help make me look SO much better than I do in real life!! LOL!)

Life advice for the future

2011-05-01T14:03:00.002-06:00

My daughter doesn't understand why we won't let her dance on the dining room table.

I told her that when the Lord gives you a daughter, one of the agreements is you do everything you can to keep them from dancing on ANY tables - at ANY time in their (hopefully long and wholesome) lives.

Sure, it makes no sense to her now - but perhaps when she's 20 she'll remember that really confusing conversation with mom one morning when she was 8. Mom was looking for the coffee filters and saying something about never dancing on tables.

Never Ever.

Three years ago

2011-04-28T21:49:00.003-06:00

Right now DD2 is in second grade, and working on her Amazon project. She has picked the Amazon River Dolphin (for very important reasons, like the fact that its pink). Her report packet is completed, her pictures are taped in place, and her diorama is done. She did 95% of the work herself, so it's safe to say it's not going to be the "prettiest" project out there, but it will be her own work. She will proudly turn it in tomorrow.

Back up three years. DD1 was in second grade when my mother died. Also working on her Amazon project. She had chosen the three toed sloth, and had worked a little on her report... but that year they HAD to have a diorama - because it was a science fair year. Their completed projects were due Friday, May 2nd that year. I remember it clearly - because my mother's funeral was Wednesday April 30th, and with all the visiting my mom in the hospital and then the ICU, not sleeping, losing our mom on April 27th, funeral arrangements, family flying in, and general chaos of that month I completely forgot about the diorama portion of the project until late in the day of mom's funeral. At which point I knew that my daughter would not be doing the work - I would. I looked over at my sister-in-law, an elementary school teacher, and said, "Oh Crap... what am I going to do?" She looked me in the eye and said, "Get a shoe box and some brown paint... and tomorrow let DD1 paint the inside of the box. Then, have her find a picture of a sloth on the internet. After she goes to bed, cut the sloth out, glue it to the back wall of the shoe box and hot glue all kinds of leaves and stuff from Michael's in front of it. Make sure its messy and they'll never suspect a thing."

May 1st 2008 was a day that I broke a big rule I had set for myself as a parent. I wasn't going to be the mom who's kid turned in the most beautiful projects - even if it killed me with it's awkwardness - because I was going to make my kids do their own work.

And then I got caught up in real life, and the rug got yanked out from beneath my feet, and I - without a second thought - did 95% of that diorama and lied to the teacher about it. And told my daughter to lie to the teacher about it as well. "Just tell her I had to help you a little with the hot glue because you're not allowed to use it by yourself." (as I am explaining the diorama to her that morning and pointing out where the sloth was in the back so she'd know.)

I'm not going to lie, when my dad fell last week and they took him to the very same hospital, and they put him in the ICU, and I knew the 2nd grade Amazon project was due this Friday it was the worst kind of deja-vu ever. But my dad is getting better, and is expected to complete re-hab on May 11th. He's planning on moving to an apartment in a retirement community, and I don't have to lie to the teacher about who really did the diorama.

Tonight is so much better than three years ago it's unbelievable... Thank you, God. And tell my mom hello for me. I still miss and think about her every day.

This can't be how it works...

2011-04-18T22:09:00.003-06:00

In nine days it will be the 3rd anniversary of my mom's passing.

Tonight my dad is in the same hospital, the same intensive care unit (not the same room, thank God), hooked up to those same machines that we watched so carefully when mom was sick. It's too familiar, it's too scary... and this can't be how it goes.

It has to end differently this time.

I put it out there, and there it is...

2011-04-14T11:10:00.002-06:00

Husband has been wanting me to get a job since DD2 started 1st grade.

Sort of.

He makes enough for us to live on, but really feels like I should have something now that the kids are out of the house. When the discussions first began (ahem... 2 years ago), I explained to him that I really did not ever see myself returning to an office full time, and we discussed that with the kids outside commitments and his erratic travel schedule that a part time job would be all that I was capable of taking on. I've never been a working mom... I didn't want a job where I had to call in sick if he couldn't work from home if one of the kids was home sick... and I need to be available to pick then up from school and be flexible in the afternoons because of their after school activities and homework load. In short... it would have to be the perfect scenario or our lives would change drastically and neither of us really wanted that to happen.

An opportunity did come along when DD2 was in kindergarten - but it was more of a 3/4 position working at this woman's home office, and left the kids "uncovered" during the Summer. When we crunched the numbers we discovered that daycare or nanny cost for the kids over the Summer would eat up pretty much all the income... so it turned out to be a "no". As cool as the job was, it wasn't going to work.

I decided a few months ago that it was going to have to be retail - and only if I could make it work the hours I needed. It was going to have to be weekends and some weekly hours (perhaps evening), but I couldn't think of any other jobs that would present me with a perfect working environment... and I liked retail jobs I'd had in the past. The discounts were awesome! The time away from family? Not so much.

Then last Sunday I saw a guy that I hadn't seen in over a year and a half - he is a dad I met when DD2 was in preschool, and he's working remotely for a company in Scottsdale AZ. It is a fairly new company, in start-up phase, that is about simplifying your technology access with Cloud computing. So I said, off-handed, "Hey, if anyone in your company ever decides they need a virtual admin, I'd love to talk to them about a position. I was an admin in my previous life before children."

Three days later he called.

The job is Virtual Administrative Assistant, 4 hours (maybe 3 or 5 depending on the needs) per day, M-F... and I work from home. Actually, I can work from anywhere I can get an internet and phone signal. I can work from the dance studio or the pool in the Summertime if need be. The money is not huge - but it is a foot in the door of a start-up company that could potentially do great things, and for what I need right now it is as close to perfect as I could hope for. I work when my kids are at school, from home. If someone is sick, I'm not going to have to call in sick. The man I will be working for is himself a father of 4 kids - and totally gets that kind of schedule. Because it will be contract work I will have the freedom to take vacations with my family, or schedule lighter work load weeks with him during "recital week" at the dance studio. The absolute best part is that I am still here with my kids over Summer vacation and will be able to remain plugged in as a parent. Husband's travel schedule won't have any effect on my abilities to do this job - and I'm still in disbelief that it all happened so quickly.

It makes you wonder... when you send out a "list" of very specific needs to the universe and you get an answer so quickly - that so very closely meets the requirements you need for it all to work - how can you not at least give it your best shot and see where it takes you?

Thank you 5th grade, I needed a good laugh today...

2011-04-07T19:35:00.005-06:00

Today was the day in 5th grade that the girls stayed behind in the classroom for their movies, while the boys were taken to the gym by a male teacher for their movies.

Hilarity ensues. See, they not only see the movies that talk about their own puberty experiences, but the movie about the opposite sex as well.

And this, my friends, is how my daughter learned the word "erection." She can say it with a straight face... I can't right now. I was hoping against all hope that the topic would come up over dinner tonight, just to make my husband super uncomfortable... and it wasn't happening on its own (which surprised me, because she was so excited to talk all about the movies in the car on the way home)- so I had to help it along a little.

Over chicken and mashed potatoes I said, "So, DD1, what did you do at school today?" DD1, "The boys had to go to the gym and we got to see the movies about what happens when you change. And Dad, we learned about boys erections and wet dreams." (I am hiding my face at this point, my shoulders shaking with laughter.) I quickly compose myself and say (choking back the laughter), "DD1, I'll bet Daddy would be willing to tuck you in tonight if you have any questions you'd like to ask him." They both look at me like I'm insane and I can't hold the laughter in any longer.

I love it when he squirms! Wait until she shows him the "goodie bag" she got, and starts explaining all the uses of panty liners to him! He'll be thrilled!!!

The Birds and the Bees visit my house

2011-04-05T09:08:00.004-06:00

I honestly have NO idea why this topic is called "The Birds and The Bees"... as neither of those species have anything even remotely in common with the reproductive system of mammals unless you count that they procreate at all. They should call it "The Dogs and The Bears" or something a little closer to how it truly works.

I've known the sex talk was coming for some time now - I discussed puberty with DD1 before she started 4th grade, and it's been an onslaught ever since. Wanting to know WHEN things would start happening. Let me tell you something: my daughter is little. I think she weighs somewhere in the ballpark of 60 pounds, and (at age 11) is still in a girls size 8. (Sometimes 10S, but only if she needs the length.) She isn't anywhere near the 100lb tipping point for that pituitary gland to kick things off, with no "upper" development to help in that department either. She is going to be a later bloomer than many of her friends. BUT, the puberty talk is different from the sex talk. The puberty talk contains information like it's time to use deodorant, wash your face more often, up the time you spend in the shower on a weekly basis. Because when your daughter is really probably a couple of years away from "the big stuff" of puberty, this is all pretty easy to deal with. She knows about feminine hygiene and why her body is going to change, but that knowledge has yet to be put in to practice.

Cue yesterday on the way to the dance studio from school: "We learned about the human reproductive system today. Boy, the women have a lot more work to do that the men do!" OK, like I said... I knew it was coming. My good friend, N.M., and I even discussed last year that I needed to open the topic up before the embarrassment window had closed and she wouldn't talk about it with me. Clearly I dodged a bullet in this department - she wants to talk. Plus? I signed the form that came home from school that said it was OK for her to learn about it. She's ready to learn. I, on the other hand, am not quite ready to discuss. But, just like the "Santa talk", moms don't really get to decide when this is going to happen. She made her announcement in the car, and I said, "Well, I'll bet you have some questions about all of that, right?" She said she did, but since her little sister was in the car (and hates all of these topics) I said, "How about when I tuck you in tonight we talk?"

(Keep in mind, I already know that little sister isn't going to come to me for information - she's going to go to DD1. I want to make sure all the facts are there, so I'm feeling a little pressure to lay a good foundation.)

So, after an evening of barely being able to contain herself on the topic (much to Husband's horror), it was finally time to tuck her in and chat. She did in fact have some very specific questions. Basic, but specific. Mostly along the lines of "how". They had discussed fertilization and what happens after that, but the logistics leading up to "how" things get to where they need to be was on her mind. I used simple language, very basic information, and then started breathing again when she said, "But why would someone ever want to do that?" Yes, I agreed, right now it seems to her a little bit like sticking your finger in someone else's nose... but when she got older and past puberty, and fell in love... then it would make more sense to her. I also made her laugh a little bit, which I think helped both of our comfort levels a lot.

So, we're talking. And I am reminding myself that this is a good thing. She is willing to talk to her mother about sex - we may end up having a fairly open relationship about this, and that is a good thing too. (Or we may not, it's too soon to tell.)

But... I'm not actually ready for her to figure out that this stuff is actually going on between her dad and myself. Which will occur to her within days of our conversation, trust me. She's going to figure out that sometimes when mom and dad have their door locked it isn't because we are having a private, adult conversation. And just like that, I'm back to being horrified again.

Clueless

2011-04-01T09:51:00.002-06:00

OK, so... this movie came out in 1995. I am a HUGE Jane Austen fan, and this movie is based on "Emma". (Loosely based... but all the major points are there.) My friend, Suz, and I LOVED this movie. It was one we would watch over and over together when it came out on VCR. So many great quotes, made us laugh each and every time we watched it. Always loved that Cher and Josh ended up together at the end of the movie - as it should be.

Yeah, watched it again last night for the first time in I can't remember how long. For the most part? Still so charming and well played. Clever idea, Cher Horowitz (the "Emma" of this movie) as darling as ever. Only now I know that I view this as a parent, and I'm a little bit not crazy that Cher ends up with Josh at the end of the movie. Sure, they're cute together... but she has just turned 16 at the end of this movie - and Josh is in COLLEGE. I get that Emma and Mr. Knightly had a large age difference. She was newly in her 20's and he was in his 30's... but all of the sudden the way it was written into Clueless just wasn't OK anymore for the mother of two girls (especially as one approaches puberty). All through the movie I wondered when I would show this movie to my daughters. It really is a cute movie in so many ways - but when it hit me at the end that a Sophomore in high school was dating a guy in College (and although they don't allude to it, I don't think he's in his Freshman year in college) - well it hit me in a completely different way. Because I don't think that is OK, and certainly would do everything in my power to keep my 16 year old daughter from dating a college boy.

OMG, giving birth and becoming a Mom ruined Clueless for me. If I ever wrote a parenting book I think I would feel compelled to include this little tidbit... because really? Who knew??

Putting Mother Nature on notice

2011-03-28T10:12:00.003-06:00

Today is official DAY 1: Spring Break 2011. I have a tan - in MARCH. I am ready for some nice weather, Spring Fever was implanted in my brain during recent trip to beautiful tropical island, and I woke up today fully expecting to see crocus popping out of the ground and daffodils about to bloom. Springtime magic. Right. Mother Nature, it seems, did not get the memo. I hate to be the one to ALWAYS complain, but when I woke up today to this, I got a little mad:

Because really? I know I live in Colorado, and we won't be done with snow until May, possibly June... but DAY 1 of Spring Break? Really? It hasn't snowed in forever... today seemed like the best possible day to remind us that Springtime in the Rockies doesn't mean shorts and flowers and warmth?

Really?

Romance redefined

2011-03-25T13:27:00.002-06:00

I used to think it was so romantic when Husband would give me flowers out of the blue... and he still does that - and I still get a little leap in my heart when he does.

This morning he called to find out what kind of memory card my camera took, since he was at the electronics store and remembered I needed one. And you know what? My heart kind of took a little leap.

Romance, after all these years, is still there. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in other stuff that I don't to notice it, but my heart reminds me of it every now and then so I won't forget: It is the million little things that matter most of all.

Thats some good parenting right there...

2011-03-23T14:19:00.005-06:00

So, my eight year old daughter (DD2) is in a particularly whiny phase of life right now. And when I say that, please imagine the most irritating, whiny child you can imagine and multiply by two. It's bad.

We've been wondering how to handle this - we haven't quite found her "currency" yet... sending her to her room and other simple punishments aren't working so well. We've threatened to video tape her, she hates that idea. We've also told her we're more than willing to take her to school in her pj's - but she pretty much knows we're bluffing on that. However, our voices are starting to sound like we've been at too many very exciting sporting events from all the yelling we've been doing around here, and we hate the thought of starting off the day with a swat on the bum to try and stop the behavior.

This morning? She had a total tantrum. ROLLING on the floor of the landing, screaming at her sister every time she saw her face, yelling at the dog for walking by... much like the last five years of her life had never happened at all.

What set her off?

She wanted me to pick out her clothes for her. Again. Another habit I'm trying to break - as at 8 years old she's old enough to pick out her own clothes - especially since she hates what I pick out! Trying to head off a whiny start to the day I ended up picking out some jeans and a t-shirt which she HATED, and thus the drama began.

So, what does a good, caring, loving, supportive mom do at that point?

She grabs her iTouch and FILMS HER having a tantrum.

You thought she was mad before that point? It was like a volcano went off. She tried the "paparazzi hand over the camera" move, then she flew to her room and slammed her door. At which point all I had to say was, "Now, if you don't pull yourself together and either wear the outfit I picked out or find one you like better, I'm going to email this video to your teacher."

10 minutes later she was dressed. She hated me, but she was dressed.

Trust me, iTouch is at the ready from now until this phase ends. Turns out that was her currency all along. (I almost can't wait for the next time I have the chance to say, "Oh hold that pose so I can get the video camera ready!")

I know, I know... it's not exactly Love and Logic, and Dr. Phil's audience would probably boo me. But I think I just found a new "perk" of parenting.

Oh, Gnomeo...

2011-02-22T18:02:00.004-07:00

OK, how do you not like a movie where the characters are this cute? (My VERY favorite character? The little mushroom on the left.) It's typical of the original story, the Montague clan on one side of the fence (in blue), Capulets on the other (in red). The Montague gnomes are in a garden with a porcelain toilet as it's centerpiece, while the Capulet gnomes are more posh, with a pond and tower in their garden. (No coincidence that the Dolly Parton Gnome comes from the blue side of the fence.)

The gnome in the Borat swimsuit amuses, but the real humor of that was missed completely by my kids - as was the comment by the twin gnome to the gnome he was attached to, "I wish I could quit you." There are some funny pop culture references, and while Tybalt dies in the original tragedy... he makes an appearance at the end of this movie super-glued together, which made the kids laugh.

There were some cute Shakespeare references: "a hat for a hat", Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from Hamlet make an appearance - on the moving truck that takes lady flamingo away.

The part when the jogger encounters the 100 or so gnomes "frozen" in the alleyway was my favorite scene.

Would I give it two thumbs up? Probably not. My kids don't get British gardens and gnomes and the particularly crusty Brit attitude of the neighbors that hate each other. However, I giggled and the kids liked it... I didn't fall asleep (sorry, Brad... it wasn't THAT bad). Of course, I have to admit, it helped to remember that this little guy:

Is this guy, who is probably one of the best looking men on the planet:

Keep reminding yourself of that and it helps!

Egypt

2011-02-12T13:16:00.002-07:00

Amazing history being made in our lifetimes - so why do I have this nagging urge to tell the people of Egypt, "Be careful what you wish for."

However, a peaceful revolution (on the part of the protesters) is history making in itself.

Just please be careful. The hard part is beginning.

You know how I hate to rush things...

2011-01-22T13:33:00.002-07:00

So, I find myself here - the middle of January gone - staring down what is left of the Christmas decorations. It isn't pretty.

The tree seems to have begun to undecorate itself, tired I guess of being the last holiday tree standing in the neighborhood. (Well, probably not the LAST one... but it's getting down there.) There are now so many toys at it's base I can no longer tell the Christmas toys from the ones that lived here before December 25th. The nativity set is scattered, most of the pieces have spent the new year partying with the Kelly dolls - only the camel left in the crèche to try to help me figure out what is what, my only companion as I try to locate Joseph again this year (Joseph annually goes missing right after Christmas, one year he never did make an appearance... but we found him in with the stockings the next year and figured out he'd just needed an extended holiday). Today however Joseph was located early, and the shepherds fell into line - and even Mary was there waiting to be packed away. My elusive nemesis this year? The Christ child. I managed to pull myself together before frustration set in and the obscenities started. Screaming, "WTF have you done with the baby Jesus?" throughout the house hardly seemed like the proper way to close out the holiday season, and with patience did finally manage to locate him dressed up in a zhu zhu pet princess costume over with the rest of the holiday hamsters. No harm done.

So as I pack up the last reminders of the happy holiday season there is a pervasive thought running through mind... How much longer till the pool opens?

Definitions

2011-01-12T12:39:00.001-07:00

Apathy:
Lack of interest or concern, especially regarding matters of general importance or appeal; indifference.

Snowy Freezing Cold January:
See above.

2011-01-06T12:16:00.002-07:00

Less than a week ago a child died after a year long battle with a brain tumor. He was a first grader at my children's school. I have found myself starting an entry about this on and off since I heard the news on Sunday. However, I keep finding myself wanting to rant about how I don't understand God's plan when something like this happens, and how as a mother I can't imagine dealing with this...

...but this isn't my story to tell. I didn't know this little boy except for minor interactions at school, and I don't know his family. I kept up with their news through a friend, and prayed for a miracle. We all did. Now I pray that God will give his family and friends the strength to get through this, to stay together and try to find one good things to hold on to and keep living. Them living through this will be a miracle. Not the one we all prayed for originally, but the one that needs to happen now.

Please join me in sending prayers for this family. God bless this family and give them comfort. Keep them safe, and love their little boy who is with you now. Please make sure something good can come from all of this, and walk with his family and friends while they need your strength and guidance. Amen.

Is it me, or are the baristas going mad?

2011-01-03T20:20:00.002-07:00

I pull in to Starbucks drive thru today on the way to pick up the kids from school. It's FREEZING outside (technically, colder than freezing), so I pull up to the speaker - and here is how that little conversation went:

Speaker box: "Welcome to Starbucks! I'm Kent, can I start you off with a peppermint mocha today?"
Me: "Uh, no thanks, Kent. I'd like a Grande Sweetened Green Tea please."
Kent: "Great, that'll be $2.11 at the window!"

I drive up to window, and hand Kent exact change.

Kent then turns around hands me an ICED Grande Sweetened Green Tea.

Me: "Wow, it's freezing out here, I had hoped that it would be HOT tea."
Kent: "Oh, OK. You want HOT Sweetened Green Tea?"
Me: "That would be exactly right."
Kent: "What did you want that sweetened with?"
Me: "Come again?"
Kent: "What kind of sweetener do you want us to use in your hot tea?"
Me: "Is this a trick question?"
Kent: "No."
Me: "What did you sweeten the cold drink with, Kent?"
Kent: "Simple syrup."
Me: "Is there a reason you wouldn't just use that for the hot version?"
Kent: "Ma'am, we don't make sweetened hot green tea usually, unless someone wants a latte. Did you want a latte?"
Me: "No. What I want is hot tea. Green tea. Hot. Sweetened with simple syrup. I've ordered it before and not had this problem... why is this a problem?"
Kent: "It isn't a problem, it just isn't something we usually make. I'll get that right up for you."

So I wait.

And Kent hands me a steaming hot, sweetened green tea. I'm happy, Kent is relieved, I drive away.

Kent is lucky that I'm on the highway before I realize it's a Tall.

Wendys? I believe you owe me an apology...

2010-12-21T15:57:00.004-07:00

....or at the very least an engineering degree. Check out what came in the kids meal today:

Are you freaking kidding me? I was doing OK until I realized I'd forgotten to put Yogi's chair back in to slot M and had to take the thing halfway apart and then reassemble.

KIDS MEAL.
Which means the KIDS should be able to do this.
Stupid marketing department and it's 3D puzzles. I'm not going back there until a totally mindless keychain is the prize.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

2010-12-21T09:23:00.002-07:00

(I have copied this from http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/ , where they even have a photo of the original editorial. This is one of my very favorite stories at Christmastime.)

Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

"VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
"115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Thankfulness

2010-11-29T10:03:00.003-07:00

The holiday weekend started on Tuesday night when the girls and I went downtown to see "Shrek: The Musical". So much fun - such a special girls night. Quiet Wednesday, cleaning up for company the next day - and then Thanksgiving! Husband's parents and brother were here (I seriously lucked out in the in-law department, his entire family is so great), and my brother's family was here with us. Special, because my niece from CA was here for the holiday and that they chose to share their family time with us was wonderful. The deep fried turkey was delicious, the pumpkin pie to die for. Friday we wound down, the girls and I got a late start but went to have lunch and spend the afternoon with my dad - their Papa. They love their Papa! Saturday DD1 and I went shopping (as DD2 has a birthday coming up on the 30th which she's been counting down the days towards since the middle of October)... followed by DD2's big birthday dinner. (Which I know is strange timing, since Saturday wasn't her birthday - but it was our last free evening until after the big day.) Sunday we just happened to have four tickets to the Bronco's game - so we bundled up and off we went! It's was DD2's first visit to Mile High, and we all had a pretty good time. (They now both HATE the Rams, who beat us... which is an OK sentiment with their dad.)

I was really sad that the holiday weekend was ending. So much to do packed in to five days. I was so very Thankful that it had been such effortless fun.

But today when we woke up there was snow on the ground, and now the house is cozy, warm, and so very quiet. I'm hanging out with my dog, mug of hot coffee in my hands... and I am very at peace. That doesn't happen to me very often, so I'm very thankful. It was a wonderful weekend, and now I need the quiet.

Yesterday I thanked God for creating my family, who I love so much.
Today I thank God for creating "quiet."

What's on Twitter?

2010-11-17T10:24:00.002-07:00

You know about Twitter, right. Where you get to share your thoughts in 140 characters or less? I don't have a lot of followers on Twitter, but I do follow over 50 people - 30 or so of them make me giggle every day. I also throw out some of my best thoughts on there, because it's easier than blogging... so in case you don't Tweet, here is what I haven't been blogging:

Dear @peoplemag, Ryan Reynolds is not sexy, he is "cute." There is a difference. Robert Downey Jr. is sexy. Please make note. Thank you.

I don't want to brag, but with those pancakes I made tonight I think Bobby Flay would be on the losing end of a throwdown.

At the checkout lane in the grocery store tonight: Husband, "I see the Kardashians are in trouble again." Daughter, "What's a Kardashian?"

I love when I put gas on the credit card, and then get an email that tells me I'm approaching my limit. For a $46 dollar balance?? Bwahaha!

How do I know for sure it's Monday? At 2:15pm I figure out my yoga pants are on inside out. And I've been out in public like that. Lovely.

Keith Partridge is SIXTY?? WTH???

Am re-reading Pride and Prejudice... sigh. I LOVE this story.

My children just returned home with more candy than I will EVER let them eat... operation "throw away a few pieces a day" starts in the am.

watching Hoarders while i clean house, find out it is an anxiety disorder? I am so screwed.

Dear Political Campaign Admins, I've already voted. Stop calling. 8am on a Tuesday, really?

Making homemade cinnamon applesauce with my 7 yo. She didn't know you could MAKE applesauce - so clearly I'm doing a good job there.

My husband, right this very minute, is watching TJ Hooker on TV. I wonder if he feels all "22" again?

I hear that the relaxing effect of chamomile tea is multiplied if you steep it in vodka.

I wish you guys could see my 7 year old popping her hip hop moves through my kitchen. Does she have to grow up, or can I pause here?

My daughter knows the words to an Eminem song? WTF? I guess she's done borrowing my iPod until she's 21.

Something I never pictured myself saying at 7:55am? "Get down off the kitchen chairs to practice ballet."

Beginning to understand why boarding schools are so popular, and why they start to send kids around age 11.

I saw Kathie Lee on Today earlier. If she's going to do that to her face, she's gonna need to pay more attention to her hair.

Tomorrow is Tuesday:Psychologist day.Where she reminds me to listen to my snarky inner bitch & leave the guilt behind. Worth. Every. Penny.

my 5th grader reported some kissing that was going on to a teacher today. (she tattled on 2 other kids.) High 5 me for raising "that girl"!!

I like holding the door for people who are far away, you know... so they have to run a little!

Black nail polish seemed like GREAT idea - till I tried to remove it. Now looks like I've been changing oil on the car. Not worth the cute.

talking about vacations with hubby yesterday, asked "Remember our honeymoon?" His response, "No, not really." Slapped him.

I love Friday. I want to take Friday out for coffee and catch up, we don't see nearly enough of each other.

How is it possible, with a nose the size of mine, that it is the only body part I missed with the sunscreen??

So there, in a nutshell, is an example of things I don't blog because I feel like there isn't enough story there to write about... although no one ever said that a blog entry had to be a certain length, did they?

Putting it in perspective.

2010-11-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

My daughter just looked at me and asked, "Were the 1900's fun?" Followed up with, "Has it been nice living in two centuries?"

I no longer feel young.

Husband's Facebook update

2010-11-14T14:43:00.004-07:00

This morning Husband updated his facebook with the following:

"Happiness is a new truck."

THIS is why he's saying that:

He got his Frontier Pro4X (with the luxury package - because when you off-road you need the comfy leather seats and open sunroof) yesterday. And it doesn't even count as his Christmas present!! He can't wait to get it up in to "man country" in the mountains. Hmmm, I wonder if a trip to "man country" includes his three favorite girls?

Sad news...

2010-11-13T09:41:00.003-07:00

We're going car shopping today. Which in itself isn't so sad, but it means that we've reached the point where paying $2200 to (not a guarantee) fix the Minivan isn't really such a good investment anymore. ($800 in the Spring, $700 about 6 weeks ago... just crazy.)

So, Husband wants a truck. DD1 is coming with us today to do some test driving. Last night when we were driving home from picking Husband up at work she said something about going car shopping, and I said, "Actually, we're going truck shopping. Daddy wants a truck." She said, "Trucks aren't cars?" I said, "Well, they're different than cars." Then she said, "Oh right, like thumbs aren't fingers."

I love her.

Wish us luck!

Updates

2010-11-01T10:45:00.006-06:00

The dog is doing fine. She's doing so great that she went out trick-or-treating with the girls and dad last night. One neighbor, someone who loves Siberian Huskies, thought she was about a year old - so I'd say the bounce is surely back in her step. (That and it must have been really dark outside... because while she certainly doesn't look like she's coming up on her 13th birthday, placing her in the "puppy" category is pushing it a little.)

The car (minivan) that the dealership fixed for free? You know, that isn't such a great bargain IF THEY DON'T ACTUALLY FIX THE CAR. Husband decided to drive it to the airport this morning... leaving me the dependable car just in case. Good thing he did, as the minivan overheated on the way to the airport, Husband had to let it cool down and bring it back home, and then the whole family piled in to the dependable car to first take Husband to the airport and then to drop the darling daughters off at school. (They were only 10 minutes late... GO US!) So, yeah. We'll be visiting the mechanic again later this week to see what's up. Really it was the "Luck of the Irish" that we decided he'd take the minivan this morning - or I'd be broken down on the side of the highway with Husband in a different city and two kids not delivered to school. (And, this probably goes without saying, but of course I didn't shower this morning - which would have added a nice trailer trash touch to the mommy/damsel in distress vibe.)

On the bright side, my dog is happy and healthier than she has been in quite a while.

Then there is all that other stuff. And, at the very least, it seems to be fortunate timing. Because of the darling daughters' Halloween haul I am certain that I have enough chocolate to get myself through this crisis.

Here's to the Luck of the Irish!

Why do I heart the internet?

2010-10-27T16:19:00.004-06:00

Right now I'm seething after a phone call from our vet's office. We ended up getting overcharged by $116 because of an accounting error that the "gentleman" at the front desk wouldn't acknowledge upon checkout (as I'm trying to juggle a dog who is bleeding from the mouth, listen to post op instructions and medication dosages). He told me I'd have to call the next day to work it out.

Over the last two days I've had to talk to three people in their accounting department to get them to give us a credit. They never did admit a mistake, but when I told them I'd scan the bills and payment records and put them on the internet to expose their accounting practices, they said in the interest of keeping me as a customer they'd credit the money. Right now? I LOVE the internet. Because the internet is WAY more than word of mouth complaining. That kind of stuff can go viral - and trust me, I'd work my behind off to get it there. (They actually did make a mistake, why can't they admit it and just be cool?)

However, after this dental ordeal is over I think it's time to change Veterinary offices. There has to be an office that is more customer oriented, right?

And, if that credit isn't in my account by Monday? I'm posting it all right here.

UPDATE: The vets office made good on their word - a credit for $116 hit our bank today. Know what else? My car broke down (again), and the dealer fixed it for FREE because it was something they should have caught last time it was in (a month ago). All of the sudden it pays to be a consumer!

It is over.

2010-10-21T13:25:00.003-06:00

“It is over.”

These are the words written in an email that we received this morning to let us know that a friend has passed away. Husband’s former co-worker has lost his wife, his partner, his love. I did not know her well at all, I only met her a handful of times. But Husband always informed me of how she was doing. His co-worker shared the struggle during conversations with my Husband, and I felt happiness for them when they received good news… and prayed for them when the news was not good.

“It is over.”

The note was written at 2:19am. My heart is broken for him. This was not a sudden illness; she has been fighting cancer for a very long time… since before Husband met them.

“It is over.”

It is the end of so many things. The end of her struggle and the end of her pain. The end of the small arguments or teasing that make up the conversation after you’ve been married to someone so long that the other topics have all been covered. The end of their children having their mom around to call and talk to, to hug, to be there for them even though they didn’t really need it anymore. The end of endless doctor appointments and medications. The end of not knowing ‘when?’, which is the question you never really want answered.

“It is over.”

When you get married, it is with every expectation that you will be growing old together. You are taking on a partner for the rest of your life, but at some point that ends. One of you always finishes growing old before the other one does. This is something they should tell you before you get married, just so you know. This couple really got cheated in this department, as to lose your spouse in your 50’s is unthinkable. Yet, I attended a funeral just two days ago of a woman who left behind a husband in his early 70’s. Again, I doubt that he thinks they got to grow old together – as early 70’s probably doesn’t feel all that old to him. I am no less sad for him. I don’t know how I would face it if Husband stopped growing old before me… I can’t even go there in my head. I don’t know how my dad manages, and he and my mom made it to 81 together before she passed away. I don’t think my dad thought they were done growning old together yet either.

“It is over.”

This is what my brother said to me on the phone when I called him to tell him that I was too tired to drive back to the hospital when mom was dying. He called to say, “it’s time if you want to try to come down.” It was the middle of the night, and after talking to my husband had decided I was just too tired to safely drive back to the hospital. When I called my brother back to tell him he said, “It’s OK. She’s gone. It’s over.”

I am so sad for anyone who has to hear these words and for anyone who has to say these words. It seems that we hear them all too often at our age. Friends losing parents,friends losing spouses. We are at that age. Today, for Dory… who fought so hard for so long, it is over. May she rest in greatly deserved peace, and may her family find peace with her passing. Today my prayers belong to them. I am really very touched by the fact that "it is over."

I honestly wonder...

2010-10-12T20:04:00.002-06:00

I wonder how many times I have spoken the words, "It's not a trampoline, it's a sofa. Stop jumping on it."

I think I may have hit the million mark about 35 seconds ago.

Because THAT is what little sisters DO!

2010-10-09T16:27:00.003-06:00

DD1 had a bad week.

DD1 has actually had a couple of bad weeks. At school. DD1 has been having a rough time remembering to get all of her school work done and turned in on time.

DD1 has had to sign her "Tally Sheet" three times in the past couple of weeks. (You have to sign your Tally Sheet when you don't turn in assignments.)

Anyway, DD2 (who is only in second grade, as opposed to DD1 being in fifth grade) has been walking around all day telling me that she hasn't ever "flipped her card" (the second grade version of a Tally Sheet) EVER in her life. Not once. And did I know that (Sister's name) had signed her Tally Sheet THREE TIMES?

She's been waiting for something like this for seven years. Seven long years of being perfection's little sister.

I? Am the youngest of six.

I? Totally get where she is coming from.

I? Am also the mom of the child who is so thrown by all of this "Tally Sheet signing" that I can see the pain on her face every time the topic comes up. So, I feel compelled to remind DD2 that, although I've never received a phone call from a teacher at school about DD1's behavior, DD2 was only in kindergarten for six days before I got my first ever teacher phone call about how a certain someone had decided she had completed enough school work and was not going to do any more. Ever.

Her reply? "Yeah, but not THREE TIMES!"

Oh, to be the little sister.
Oh wait... I am.

Christmas Card Design Idea 2010

2010-10-02T21:47:00.003-06:00

Never too early to think about our Christmas Card design, right? I love to have a picture of the kids, or the whole family on the front - exuding happiness and holiday joy. It's the inside greeting I usually have a hard time with... I hate to get too repetitive, and I'd like it to be original each year.

So, when this showed up on Dooce's site (as pointed out by Mrs. Nielson), I knew I might have the answer to this years question, "'Season's Greetings' seems so over done. What can I say that would REALLY let people know how I really feel?"

I feel like this sentiment from artist Mike Monteiro sums it up perfectly:

Because really? I probably did. (I wonder if he does licensing agreements for short runs of greeting cards?)

(To see more of his work FOLLOW THIS LINK RIGHT HERE. And then check out the other artists in the right hand column on the site. All that amazing artwork is for sale. Awesome.)

See, now you're anxiously awaiting our holiday greeting card.

And December is a LONG way off!

Bwahahahahaha!

Las Vegas

2010-09-27T14:10:00.001-06:00

OK, relax... I'm working on the entry. It's not an easy one!

Cotillion

2010-09-24T23:52:00.003-06:00

She's growing up!

Here is DD1 the day of her first Cotillion class. She loved her dress, and thought the white gloves were so fancy.

Here is her whole look. New dress for the occasion, and she was digging that her shoes had a bit of a heel. Also, she looks SO much like my mom in this picture - it's her smile!

It's always more fun when you do stuff like this with friends!

...and you can take the girl out of the play clothes, but the playful attitude doesn't really change!

She must have said a hundred times that she didn't want to take "etiquette classes," but she didn't realize that to learn social graces you get to go do social things. Need to learn party manners, introductions, and conversation? Their class was a party. Need to learn proper table manners? Lunch at the country club. Once that sunk in? We were golden, she was happy, and now she can't wait to go back! (October is a Sock Hop... know where I can find a poodle skirt?)

Don't know who said this...

2010-09-22T13:18:00.003-06:00

This is making the rounds on the Internet... would love to know where it originated - because it is all kinds of awesome!

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the Devil says, "oh crap she's up!"

I find this brilliant and funny all at once

2010-09-16T08:43:00.006-06:00

When talking to my psychiatrist, I often refer to, "my family." But then I always have to throw in, "the one I grew up with, not the one I have now." He said that there is a clarification that makes it much easier to keep them straight in my head, to compartmentalize them if you will. The family I grew up with is, "my family of origin." The family that Husband and I have created is, "my family."

The family that Husband and I have created is "MY FAMILY."

It does feel so much better to have that all straightened out.

Prima Donna in training

2010-08-03T10:41:00.000-06:00

My daughter, dancing around with her goldfish snack crackers in her hand - moving slowly in to the family room where snacks are not allowed. Me, "Hey! Where are you going with that food?" Her, "Wherever my 'balancé' takes me..."

Guess I'll be buying more ant traps.

Update on "Roughing It"

2010-07-07T20:30:00.002-06:00

I picked her up at 5pm on Friday. She saw me and started crying. She was sunburned, and dusty, and tired... and she cried. And then she was OK, she just had a lot of emotions built up.

There were things she loved about camp: Archery, Horseback riding, the "Queen and Fairy Godmother" game, their bunk mate Francis (who is one of 12 children, and DD1 thought she was hilarious), songs and s'mores, cookout breakfast the last morning, volleyball, four of her counselors - especially Kiwi, her counselor from New Zealand.

There were things she didn't love about camp: The latrines, showering in semi-privacy, the ants that live in the tent's wooden plank floor, the moths that live in the top of the tent, she missed us a lot (perhaps even more than we missed her if that is possible), and that her flashlight batteries which were brand new died the first night.

There are things I wish I had pictures of: Her sitting on the wooden steps to the tent the morning they all woke up at 4am and were waiting for the sun to come up, her on her horse - who she now thinks of as a life long friend, her eating chocolate chip pancakes that last morning - famished and exhausted and disheveled.

She'll start telling us a story, then skip crucial details or reference things I have no clue about, and when she finishes her story we're totally confused. I don't know at what age it sinks in to kids that you are TRULY a separate person from your parents, but from the way she talks I know that DD1 is still very firmly in the subconscious mind set that I simply "know" everything about her life. That we automatically just "know" what has happened to her. She hasn't yet figured out that I'm really not omnipotent, that there are vast portions of her life that I sort of don't have a clue about... which is one of those things about parenting that surprises me. I didn't know it would be like that, before I was a mom. Becoming a mom has taught me so much, especially how much I didn't know before.

Overall? The good outweighed the bad, and camp was good. For both of us.

********

At check-in:

Finding their tent area on the map:

With her BCF (Best Camping Friend):

Her actual cot:

Right before going home:

My daughter... roughing it?

2010-06-30T19:18:00.002-06:00

Just got back from dropping DD1 off at camp. Girl Scout Camp, seems innocent enough right? Where they sleep in bunk beds in cozy cabins with a bathroom down the hall. Even the "indoorsy" type of girl can handle Girl Scout Camp - it's hardly "rustic". Totally do-able for my DD1, who didn't even remotely inherit the love-of-the-outdoors gene from her daddy.

Yea, that's what I thought too.

Turns out when you are an "older" girl (4th grade on upwards), it's not so much a "cabin camping" experience as it is a "backwoods camping" experience.

Behold where my daughter, who really doesn't even like to sleep with the window open, will be laying her head down tonight:

...and here is a glimpse of the luxurious bathroom accommodations she'll obviously be sharing with a fellow camper - since that looks like a two seater to me:

...and where will she be washing her hands after using the "biffy", as they call it? Where will she be brushing her teeth? Funny you should ask... because here is the lovely vanity area:

The mess hall, shower, nurse, craft cabin are all (I kid you not) about 1/2 a mile down a steep, winding hill. It was a hike to get up that hill to the cabins, and she gets to do that walk several times in the few days. (We pick her up at 5pm on Friday.)

And I thought her biggest hurdle regarding this camping trip was going to be her morbid fear of insects. Boy, will that be low on her list!

She's back Friday, and she's an all or nothing girl - she'll either LOVE it, or HATE it. I'll let you know!

What a difference a school year makes!

2010-06-08T12:43:00.004-06:00

First day - Last day

School year 2009/2010

Look what happens when you don't stop to notice them growing up! I can't believe the year is over - there were times I thought it would never end... and here we are again: POOL SEASON!

The ghost of SMA on the move?

2010-05-22T12:02:00.000-06:00

I have to wonder if the former SMA is, or has recently been, in Poland? Lots of Polish hits to my May 22, 2009 post (the one that gets hundreds of hits weekly).

I've often contemplated removing that post... but it's just so interesting to me that it draws so many hits. I like seeing what countries end up there.

Anyway, happy Saturday.

We interrupt this blog...

2010-05-21T11:07:00.002-06:00

...for a very important announcement.

Before I go scrub the bathrooms I want to note that I, at this very moment, have ten perfect fingernails. They are all the same long length (they would make my old piano teacher snarl), and they look fabulous. I'm thinking they haven't looked like this since our wedding day.

I fear this afternoon I will not be able to make this statement, so I'd like to mark this moment in time. If we make it through unscathed I think a celebratory manicure tomorrow morning might be in order.

May 21st, 11:11am. Best nails I've (maybe) ever had.

You may now continue with your (hopefully less shallow and vain) day.

Gleek post

2010-05-05T08:10:00.003-06:00

Is it just me, or did Glee disappoint last night?

The whole thing felt like it should have been advertised as, "A very special episode of Blossom." Perhaps, "an episode your family can't afford to miss."

Blech.

I watch Glee for its teen angst, its camp, its superb writing and over developed characters. I do not watch Glee for a morality lesson. I really don't want Glee to be a show I want to start watching with my kids, because they can get something out of it. (I sort of like having a semi-trashy show that my kids cannot share. Yes, it's selfish. I own that.)

Glee? Strike One.

How did I NOT see this coming?

2010-04-29T08:41:00.003-06:00

Because, after having (nearly) two glorious weeks of relatively carefree sinuses, I woke up today with pressure behind my face, the teeth on the left side of my head aching, and my eyes all gooey and icky. In other words? Here we go again.

I've decided that my sinuses are like three year old toddlers - who for reasons unknown will get mad and throw a tantrum. They've decided to stage one today, and I'm pretty sure they've invited all of their little angry sinus friends to come join in the fun.

I'm going to mention now that I've been having sinus problems on and off now since NOVEMBER. My doctor thinks the initial sinus problems are brought on by allergies (which have never been a huge problem for me before, certainly nothing a little Zyrtec couldn't cure), and are made worse in reaction to viruses. Do we know what I'm allergic to? Nope. Could be as simple as dust (not likely, would have probably known before now, I mean really. Have you seen my house?), could be a chemical in the new-ish flooring (but that should be a more constant problem, not the peek-a-boo situation they've got going in there), could be something strange the wind blew in - since we've had a relatively dry winter here, that is most likely the cause. However, now the sinus cavities are so very sensitive that every little virus is running for them as if they are the last save haven on Earth.

So I wake up today with the sinuses all in an uproar and ready to cause harm. Coincidentally, today is Volunteer Day with the first graders.

First graders. Possibly the least clean and most germ ridden of all elementary school children with the exception of kindergartners. (I maintain my position that kindys could wipe out entire populations, and are the perfect distribution system for biological weapons of mass destruction what with their secretious habits putting even slugs to shame.) Volunteering with the first graders today leaves only one question up for grabs during my doctor visit next week:
Viral or Bacterial?

Wish me luck.

Can't seem to fall to sleep tonight...

2010-04-27T01:41:00.003-06:00

April 27th is the day we lost my mom. In the wee hours of the morning two years ago she passed on while my oldest brother held her hand.

It still seems wrong that she isn't here anymore. I can still hear her voice, especially that tone she'd use when she left a message and I hadn't talked to her for a week or so. "Dodi, it's mom. I need you to call when you get this message."

She'd call when the baby birds in the birdhouse hatched, and the girls needed to come over to see them.

She'd call when she spotted an obituary for someone they knew years ago, someone I didn't know:
"Honey, I hate to tell you this, but Mrs. So&So passed away."
"Mom I don't know who that is." (At which point I'm sure I rolled my eyes.)
"Sure you do, she was a neighbor of ours when we first got married, they came out to the house here for dinner when you were about 5. Remember, she had that straw hat?" (This conversation would continue until I said something about remembering her, which I almost never did.)

She'd call when a product she knew I used was on sale.

She called when the neighbors left their sprinklers on too long.

She'd call mostly to check on her girls - all three of us. Because even when I was up to my eyeballs in laundry or stress and emotion, or general "too busy"ness, and she'd let me know she was there. Always there. Even when I was mad at her or she was mad at me... she was always there.

And then she wasn't there anymore.
And I still can't imagine a world without her - even though that is the world that I live in.

Mom... I love you, and I miss you!

She's a tricky one...

2010-04-21T18:49:00.001-06:00

Oldest daughter had to clean the bathroom as a punishment. (Toothpaste mysteriously exploded again. Always with the toothpaste! It's like her "signature move" or something.) Well, before she even got started cleaning she turned to me to ask, "Hey, maybe you could pay me for this extra chore?"

Somehow I think she's missing the point of the word PUNISHMENT.

Because 17 is all grown up?

2010-04-20T22:11:00.002-06:00

What 17 year old, who was in the news in December for sporting a NEW TATTOO, is now moving in to her own 4000 sq foot house?

Did you say Miley Cyrus? (Who, let me say again is SEVENTEEN.)

Ding ding ding ding - RIGHT! Miley has moved in to her new mansion down the street from her parents recently, and I'm guessing we're all agreed that this is a fabulous idea.

Because at 17 she shouldn't be in high school. (You never hear about her being schooled at all.)

Because at 17 she should be allowed to do whatever in the world makes her happiest without all that pesky adult supervision. (Have you SEEN her 20 year old boyfriend? He's hot.)

Because she's MATURE, at 17, and responsible enough to live on her own.
By herself.
Alone.

Riiiight.

I'm planning that my kid is still going to be turning her cell phone over to mom and dad at 10pm when she is 17 so she doesn't text with her friends all night long (a mom can dream of this sort of life can't she?)... but I'm guessing Miley's parents aren't worried about that kind of stuff. At this point I think we can all agree that all night text sessions are the LEAST of their worries.

It's Hollywood after all... what could possibly go wrong?

Freaky Friday

2010-04-16T09:11:00.000-06:00

I'm a GLEEk

2010-04-14T09:42:00.004-06:00

It's baaaaaaccccckkkkk!

Did you see Glee last night? (If not - why not? How can you NOT be watching this show?) The show really is perfection for someone like me. Who digs her entertainment just a little bit judgy, a lot campy, able to mock itself, with good storylines, and finely crafted characters. The cheerleading coach is one of the most hilarious characters ever written - she's mean. Mean like you'd never get to be in real life. Mean like, "Save me a spot next to you in hell" mean. And while you hate her for it, you ADORE her for it. Writing for that character has to be a career high for that writing staff.

Glee has it all. The bitchy cheerleaders, the arrogant jocks, the pitiful geeks - and all so completely overdone that it's unparalleled in it's excellence.

CLICK HERE IF YOU NEED VIDEO PROOF

...and HERE IF YOU NEED MORE PROOF

Glee is hilariously creative. If you mixed "Scrubs" with "Fame", stirred in some skits from "Saturday Night Live", and then threw in a little "Rocky Horror Picture Show"? You would start to see something that might resemble Glee on one of it's weaker days.

It's just that good.

And I? Am a GLEEk.
If they had a Glee-Con? I'd totally go.

Blowin in the Wind

2010-04-13T10:27:00.002-06:00

Wow, it's windy out there today. The local news webpage said today would be "breezy at times." Really? Because wind gusts upwards of 45mph feel more than "breezy" to me.

And to our house.

Did you feel the wind last night? Because you didn't have to be outside to feel it. The wind gusts hitting the back of our house last night howled around the corners, and we could feel the house actually moving back and forth. It was loud, and it was powerful.

The wind was so powerful it carried my seven year old from her bed to mine - where it placed her down so gently that I didn't even know she was there until she was already fast asleep again. When I hugged her in tight, I held her and listened to the wind outside - and I was so glad it had carried her in to me.

(...at which point I was also so very glad of our decision 10 years ago to buy a king sized bed!)

Jen Lancaster

2010-03-25T21:33:00.002-06:00

Jen Lancaster is by far one of my favorite "new" authors. I've been a fan since "Snarkywood", follow her blog, and own all 4 of her books. She has a new book coming out soon, "My Fair Lazy," and now she's a NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST!!! (Not in our newspaper, of course, which is where the internet comes in super handy.)

I am sitting on like 5 blog entries that aren't good enough to publish - because now I've over thought them and they're not at all spontaneous. So, until I get my act together and become spontaneous (Really? Is that something you can plan?) I give you:

Humor Hotel
Don't Blame Mii, Japan
by Jen Lancaster

(...you can thank me in the comments.)
(I feel like such a proud fan!)

Man Oh Man, I'm ready for SUMMER!

2010-03-12T08:36:00.001-07:00

I'm done with Winter. Bring on the warmth of SUMMER!

45

2010-02-13T08:55:00.001-07:00

45 years ago we lived in a different world.

45 years ago our nation was at an impasse in its struggle for civil rights.
45 years ago our country entered into a war in Vietnam, a fight they would lose 10 years later.
45 years ago protesters were burning their draft cards, "My Fair Lady" won a Best Picture Oscar, Malcolm X was assassinated, Charlie Brown was on the cover of TIME magazine, and Canada unveiled a new flag.

45 years ago, a disk drive for an IBM 360 was the size of a washing machine, and held about 10 megabytes.

If a couple was married 45 years ago, they would now be celebrating their Sapphire anniversary.

It is estimated that 45 years ago, 3.3 billion people were living on this planet.

45 years ago it was 1965. The Rolling Stones had their first #1 hit, the Beatles played Shea stadium, the mini skirt was introduced, and the world was introduced to Spaghetti-O's.

Some of our favorite entertainers were born in 1965:
Julia Ormond
Kristin Davis
Dr. Dre (I know...)
Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen
Sarah Jessica Parker
Robert Downey Jr.
Linda Evangelista
Brooke Shields
J.K. Rowling (not technically an entertainer... but V.I.P. nonetheless)

45 years ago, February 13, 1965 fell on a Saturday.
I know that because it was the day I was born. My kids were both born on Saturdays, like me, which I think is pretty cool.

Today I am 45.
It took me my whole life to get here, and it seems like in the blink of an eye I am 45 years old. And the old cliche is true... it is the first day of the rest of my life.

Wasting all my best stuff on Facebook

2010-02-12T12:30:00.002-07:00

I've neglected my blog. I know it, you know it. People don't stop by here very often anymore, in case you count that May 2009 entry... which I don't. I tend to put snippets of my day up on Facebook now, not taking the time to really write things down. But today is good, today is one of those days you want to remember. Well, twenty minutes of today was so special I know it's worth remembering - and lets be honest, sometimes you don't get twenty minutes in a whole week that are lovely and special.

Today my darling daughter, the younger one, is home sick. She's in first grade... and today she is missing her Valentines Day party at school. She's sad, but she really doesn't feel good at all. Husband was up with her lots last night, and she's got a pretty bad cold.

She announced a bit earlier that she was hungry. I asked her what sounded good to her, and she couldn't think of anything. So I started sharing some ideas. Peanut butter crackers? No. Jelly sandwich? No. Soup? No. Jello? (pause) No. (Ahhh, I'm getting warm.) Ice cream? (pause) "Can I really have that?"

She's missing her school party - which is a big deal in first grade. Know what you do when that happens and the only thing that sounds good to her for lunch is ice cream?

You give it to her.

Know what you do next?

You go get yourself a bowl and join her.

You watch her eyes get big, and you make her giggle about how naughty this is - how wonderful to get to do something so out of the ordinary. You both laugh about how this is the silliest, craziest lunch in the whole world!

And then you smile, and you file this one away forever.

I wish...

2010-01-25T18:52:00.002-07:00

I SO wish I had written this...

January 25, 2010
Dis This

Dear Neighborhood Thugs,

Just so you know, flashing gang signs while wearing mittens makes you come across as less of "a stone cold killer" and more like "a sock-puppet performance artist."

Please consider investing in a pair of gloves or waiting until spring to represent.

Best,

Jen

Do you ever read her blog? You should. You really should.

Comment Moderation

2010-01-19T08:22:00.002-07:00

Well, I'm sad. I had to turn on the "Moderate Comments" button - seems I'm a spam target. Not new posts, but quite a few of my older posts have icky sex link comments attached to them now. So, for a while at least, I'm going to have to moderate all comments. If it only keeps happening to the older posts I'll change the moderation to any post older than 14 days.

Sorry about this - I guess it was bound to happen eventually.

:)

Robert Downey Jr. is a sexy beast...

2010-01-18T17:08:00.002-07:00

I've stated in on Facebook - which is like declaring to the world that I swear my allegiance to his sexiness. But you know why? Not just because he's SO good looking, but watch this speech. This is a fun guy - Really Fun - DANGEROUSLY fun... would-be-awesome-to-be-his-wife-fun.

Best Golden Globe Acceptance Speech EVER click here.

Robert Downey Jr. is a sexy beast.

Books vs. Movies

2010-01-17T14:22:00.002-07:00

The book is always better, right?

Not really. I mean, as a rule - yes... the book is generally better than the movie. At least when the story is similar. Sometimes you wonder, other than the topic, is it the same story? Did the screenwriter bother to read the book?

Julie and Julia? Movie was better. In fact, it wasn't even really the same story at all - aside from the main character cooking her way through the 524 recipes in 365 days, and a few anecdotes to tie it all together. The Julie Powell in the book is a very different Julie Powell than we see in the movie. In the movie we love her. She is darling, kind of a goody two shoes, and is usually pretty excited about her project. We want her to triumph. In the book we hear about how there is cat hair all over her kitchen, she ends up with maggots under her dish draining board, she fails at the recipes as often as she succeeds, and she's a lot more whiny than the book version. I'm sure the book version is closer to the truth. Plus? Can you picture the movie version of Julie dropping the F-bomb very often? The book version of Julie swears like a sailor - she's like me, totally out of control as to what comes out of her mouth at times. I get the feeling that if the book version of Julie met the movie version of Julie they wouldn't get on very well, the book version would talk about her behind her back. That said, I think I'd like to go find the blog and read through it. I'm guessing a version a lot closer to the book version resides there, but it will be interesting to find out. Plus, the movie was half Julia and Paul Child... a charming love story that I suspect was almost as glossed over as the "real" Julie Powell was, but charming nonetheless. I think the movie was better, but keep in mind I saw the movie first. I saw the movie when it was in theatres, and I didn't read the book until this weekend. I wonder what my feelings would have been if 'd read the book before seeing the movie?

Anyway, I'm passing the book on to my neighbor (Mrs. Kravitz) because I saw the movie with her. I want to see what she thinks. I think the stories were so very different - aside from the main premise - I'm wondering where the idealized version of Julie Powell came from? However, I like her better.

I like a little gloss to cover up the rougher edges I suppose.

But, I believe that you always walk away from a book with something. In this case? The something has nothing really to do with Julie OR Julia. It is the quote, "All things in moderation, including moderation." She attributes the quote to Jacques Pepin, the on the Internet it states that the author is Mark Twain. Either way? It's a good message.

Take your diamonds, I like pearls

2010-01-13T08:05:00.003-07:00

Well, not completely true - I do like diamonds! However, I LOVE pearls. I think they are gorgeous. My wedding dress was scattered with sewn on (fake) pearls, and it was so pretty. My brother, TB, gave me a pair of pearl earrings when I was a teenager - I have no idea where they are today, but I loved them and wore them a lot. I also found a very wee baby pearl in a smoked oyster once. DD1 and I marveled over it, and I have it in my jewelry box. She loves to tell the story.

After my mom passed away (2 years ago this Spring) I received the pearls that Dad gave her on their very first Valentine's Day together. I had loved them since I was a little girl - so much that Mom and Dad gave me my own string of pearls when I graduated from college. I love both sets, and will pass them down to my girls someday.

The cost of real pearls is high. (By "real" I mean saltwater cultured pearls - the cultured pearls are almost always perfectly round because you can control the shape of the irritant that seeds the pearl to begin with - and saltwater pearls have a beautiful lustre. Did you really need this information that I find so fascinating?) Thus, freshwater pearls are more popular. Still beautiful, and more readily available.

My birthday is coming up... I'd love to see a set of these in a box for my gift! I've never owned black pearls before - aren't they gorgeous! (They are freshwater pearls.) The site where I found those earrings is full of beautiful pearl jewelry... and I would have LOVED it in my 20's - when it was all about me me me, and pearls could be worn every day without regard to children grabbing them, household cleaners splashing on them, or general impracticality. But someday my friends I will be the older lady whose signature look includes a double strand of pearls, and expensive shoes. Like Barbara Bush - but with better hair!

My husband's fear

2010-01-03T13:31:00.004-07:00

Husband and DD1 were having a conversation about a month ago, while folding laundry, about reincarnation.

DD1: "I think I'd like to come back as a (female) deer."

Husband: "Oh? Why is that?" (Thinking she was going to make some profound statement about the freedom of being a deer, or recognizing something wonderful that only a nine year old can still see in wonder...)

DD1: "Well, you know how the male deer fight over the does? I think that would be pretty cool."

When my husband tells this story, this is where his palm hits his forehead as he exclaims, "Oh no, please tell me I'm not raising 'that girl'."

Oh, to be the father of a daughter. Completely different worries. He's been the teen aged boy that girls manipulated and played with... he's been on the other side of heartbreak. The side I can't see or ever know about. The boy side. I've had a few big heart breaks in my life - but I've never seen his side of that dance.

This parenthood thing? More every year I marvel at it and exponentially add to the statement, "This? Is going to be an interesting ride."

Yesterday...

2009-12-17T08:45:00.003-07:00

DD2 didn't walk until she was almost two years old. She has had gross motor delays her whole life, which are complicated by some sensory issues. It's been tough as a mom to watch her struggle, watch her be scared to walk down steps, watch her question her abilities, and to watch her fall, and fall, and fall... breaking her arm, visiting the ER for scary head crashes, having my heart skip a beat every time she trips hoping she won't get hurt again.

Yesterday at after school pick up she yelled over to me, "Mom, wanna see how fast I can run?"

And right then my daughter took off and ran down a hill. Not a gently sloping hill, a hill that would make a pretty good sledding hill. She pounded down that hill with confidence, long strides, and good speed.

She didn't hesitate.
She didn't stop to think about it.
She just ran. Like it had never been a problem.

And when she turned around and smiled at me from the bottom of the hill my heart skipped a beat... but for an entirely different reason.

Heeerrree's JOHNNNY!

2009-12-11T16:47:00.003-07:00

(OK, you have to be old enough to remember Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show for that to be relevent.)

Date Night

2009-12-06T14:35:00.003-07:00

Husband has been out of town all week, so we had a Date Night last night. (Conveniently, Husband also has a ticket package for DU Hockey - so we had tickets for Saturday night's game.) I wasn't sure it was all going to work out, because our regular babysitter was booked. However, I have a friend in our neighborhood with a 15 year old daughter! She came through for us and it all worked out. Date Night was a go.

So we decide on Sushi Den. (Yum. Actually? Double Yum.) They don't take reservations for two, but we were there early enough that we had no problem getting a table. Husband even sat on the same side of the table with me, so we could people watch and whisper (that wasn't why he sat next to me, just a really good by product of the decision). Directly across from us was the poor couple we concentrated on for our people watching of the evening. They had already eaten when we saw them... I think. They were engrossed in their drinks by the time we noticed them. Husband said, "We have a first date situation right over there" and indicated the direction with his sake cup. I whip my head around to check it out, and we watch them for a few minutes. "Correction," I said, "THAT is a second or third date... might be the crucial 'wanna go back to my place' date?" He was leaning forward, asking her something and teasing her. She was leaning back, being coy and shaking her head while smiling. Husband agreed, and we noticed she was very drunk for 6:15pm. We kept an eye on things, glancing over every once in a while during our conversation and dinner to see how they were doing. "I wonder if she'll give up the goods tonight?" was my question. The laughing response was, "If she doesn't get sick first, she's looking like that might be a possibility."

Sometime in the middle of our sushi rolls, we both happened to look up at them at the same time, and he was trying to feed her some dessert while reaching for her hand. She's all demure, but smiling. Husband looked at me and said, "There it is, the full court press!" He's a guy, he knows. I laughed.

(The couple left shortly after. Sadly we'll never know how the love story panned out. As it was so early and she was already so drunk... my guess is no. Maybe another night, but not last night. They were quickly replaced at the table with two couples out for an evening without the kids. Not nearly so much fun to speculate over, as their stories were probably remarkably similar to ours.)

After dinner we saw DU play CC over at Magness. It was an awesome game, and there were fun people around us. Lots of cheering, some good "boo"ing over the officiating, great plays, even a fight at the very end. So much fun.

I forget how much fun my husband can be, how much I enjoy his company, how we make each other laugh. I forget until Date Night. Then I remember, and I smile.

SMA Friday

2009-12-03T20:29:00.004-07:00

Ahhh, the young SMA... le sigh.

Seven

2009-11-30T07:57:00.003-07:00

Today you turn seven. Holy cow - how on earth did that happen?

Seven is being so excited about a specific wish that you can't contain yourself.
Seven is sassy - finding that "no" is worth a try, and slamming your door when your sister gets in your face.
Seven is smiles and giggles and holding hands with a best friend named Ruthie.
Seven is first grade and confidence and finding out that you ARE a good reader, even if you don't love books.
Seven is happiness, because you still believe in the good.
Seven is Minnie Mouse - who you love and is your dear friend. (You? Have the pictures to prove it!)
Seven is being the little sister - and realizing now that you will always be the little sister. Seven doesn't love that very much.
Seven is knowing in your heart that Santa is going to deliver the Zhu Zhu pet and play set that you want more than any other present for Christmas.
Seven is assuring your mom that you will still be her baby, that the end of Six won't ruin this place you have in my heart.
Seven is happiest snuggled up to her daddy watching cartoons.

I love you at Seven even more than I loved you at One, Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six. How is that possible? I love you more each and every day. You are our Peach. You are our Baby. You are the humor, the thoughtfulness, the quiet, the silly, the wonderful, and the beautiful that completes our family.

Today you are Seven.

There was a get together at our house this week...

2009-11-28T18:03:00.005-07:00

A house full of kids, Drama (not the kind you'd expect from my family - the kind where my husband notices that the pot he's already poured the oil in for the deep frying of the turkeys is split), happiness at seeing out of town relatives, tension (yes, the kind you'd expect), togetherness, avoidance, "Who wants more wine?", eye rolling, teasing, sarcasm, "Can I get anyone another beer?", laughter, being all in the same room for the blessing (since my mom passed this seems to have worked itself out... in the 'olden days' dad started the blessing while mom was still in the kitchen dishing up the gravy), the men all hanging out outside to supervise Husband while he fried up those birds (it was a beautiful day), "Who wants Baileys in their coffee?", compliments on our home improvements... it all went off without any major hitches once the new cooking pot was procured from Walmart (LAST one on the shelf).

In a nutshell? Thanksgiving.

Next week...

2009-11-25T10:01:00.002-07:00

I'm back to blogging. (It's my Thanksgiving Resolution - because New Years just doesn't seem to do it for me.) I'm going to post about our home improvements next week. Can't wait to show you how it's going!

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends and family, and to those 50+ random people who (every single day) click on the May 2009 post of Hugh and his wife.* Most of you in the latter group are European - so I'm not sure that my wishing you a happy day on what is exclusively an American holiday is appropriate. However, since you never see anything on my blog except that one post? I'm not too worried.

*Seriously, it's STILL going on. Some days it's only 20 or so people, sometimes 75 foreigners come looking for Hugh and Deb. I think the highest one day number of people that landed on that post was 77... and it's hardly ever Americans. I told my kids that I was a world famous blogger, and tried showing them my counter that has the flags of the different countries that people are from... but they aren't buying it. DD2 believed me for a while - but that went down the drain when DD1 said, "Mom, people land there by accident. You're not famous." How in the world does she know that?

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday, because - again - thats how I roll)

2009-11-24T09:07:00.004-07:00

This? Hilarious.

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2009/11/flow_chart_helps_you_determine.html

SMA Friday (brought to you on Sunday... because that's how I roll)

2009-11-22T12:13:00.006-07:00

Ahhh, our new SMA! It's gonna be a good year - not the same as Hugh, though. Only Colin Firth could have come close to being "that guy." Johnny is more like the edgy, sexy, musician, bad boy in high school or college you'd like to date but wouldn't dare. (...and by bad? I mean good.)

The boy you would never bring home to mom.
The guy that would give your dad a heart attack.
That boy? Is our SMA.

Yes!

2009-11-18T11:41:00.003-07:00

People Magazine did not cave to the Twihards.

Johnny Depp? The right choice. It was going to have to be someone pretty amazing to follow after Hugh - and Johnny is it.

For good or bad, the tradition of SMA Friday continues with the hotness that is Johnny Depp.

Sigh.
Yum.

Hugh must surrender the crown...

2009-11-13T09:04:00.004-07:00

It's almost time. November is when People Magazine announces their Sexiest Man Alive - and since no one yet has manged back to back victory we can assume that Hugh will be displaced this month.

Sexiest Man Alive (SMA) has been a long standing People Magazine feature. For reasons not known to me, they didn't announce winners in 1993 or 1994 (I've only really noticed these guys since the late 90's)... but every other year since 1985 has had a SMA. Not always a strong choice, but a crown was issued nonetheless. Here is a list of the past winners:

1985: Mel Gibson (Really, back then? So hot!)
1986: Mark Harmon (?)
1987: Harry Hamlin (The 80's were strange, no?)
1988: JFK, Jr. (No argument here.)
1989: Sean Connery (Yes, in agreement.)
1990: Tom Cruise (No doubt the gays loved this choice
1991: Patrick Swayze (Sigh, he was a hottie back then.)
1992: Nick Nolte (No, no, no! Revolting choice. I'm betting that they didn't sell more than 100 magazines with this choice - and that is why SMA disappeared for two years.)
1993: People didn't name a sexiest man, they did name a sexiest couple... Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford.
1995: Brad Pitt
1996: Denzel Washington
1997: George Clooney
1998: Harrison Ford (No. Just no.)
1999: Richard Gere (This doesn't count as a second, since he didn't actually get sexiest man in 1993)
2000: Brad Pitt (First man to double.)
2001: Pierce Brosnan (ummm, well I guess if you really go for that type.)
2002: Ben Affleck (Would have been better as Sexiest Fraternity Type Man That You Might Beer Kiss Alive, but cute enough.)
2003: Johnny Depp (One of their strongest choices ever.)
2004: Jude Law (He looks better on film.)
2005: Matthew McConaughey (I agreed with this one fully - until I found out that deodorant wasn't part of the whole "Matthew" package. Then it fell off for me
2006: George Clooney (Nine years after his first honor he gets SMA again.)
2007: Matt Damon (SO right!)
2008: Hugh Jackman (Perhaps the sexiest SMA ever.)

Rumors of this years nominees include Robert Pattison (NO!), Bradley Cooper (Like Harrison Ford... is "cute" necessarily "sexy"?), Justin Timberlake (uh, no), George Clooney (he IS sexy), Jon Hamm (this would work), Brad Pitt (I don't know, he's sort of over isn't he?), Ryan Reynolds (super nice to look at, rumor has it he's a jerk), Will Smith (cute, funny, could work), Gerard Butler (no), JayZ (say what you will, but power is sexy), Colin Firth (hands down should be the winner - love him and would gladly post SMA Fridays for him), and a handful of others that don't really warrant inclusion.

There has been no mention anywhere of Robert Downey Jr., Edward Norton, Matt Damon, or Johnny Depp - all of whom would warrant a continuation of SMA Friday.

Winner will be announced soon... and, unfortunately, People is more interested in selling magazines then pleasing an unknown blogger. I fear Edward Cullen for the win.

2009-11-11T13:12:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

SMA Friday

2009-11-06T11:36:00.003-07:00

In the midst of chaos I must stop, and remember the sexiness that is Hugh.

Sigh.

We will miss our SMA!

Not really "sick" sick...

2009-11-02T16:11:00.001-07:00

Icky sick. That sick where you aren't sick enough to really say, "I'm sick." I'm not sick enough to call in sick to work - not that I do. Work, that is.

You know how you feel when you are up really high and look down? You get that sort of vertiginous, "fally" feeling? That's what I feel like.

Right now.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T12:17:00.003-06:00

Halloween is fun. It's just fun.

I wonder who doesn't have fun memories of Halloween as a child?

Dad taking us out trick-or-treating. A big THANKS to my mom, as this has carried on to my kids - and I've stayed nice and toasty warm because of this "tradition". Plus? My kids love that this is a "tradition" in our family. In this day and age, when cultures have mixed and family traditions are few and far between we grasp on to our own families "traditions". I have no doubt that my daughters' children will trick-or-treat with their dads, too.

Planning costumes and changing costumes the day of Halloween itself. Who didn't decide at that last minute that being a hobo would be more fun than being an M&M... only to discover that coffee ground were itchy when stuck to the face with Vaseline? (Not at first, mind you, but once you had been out about half and hour you were an itchy, gooey, slimy mess. Fun!)

Your mom MAKING your costume - as the only costumes you could buy were those plastic apron and mask combinations. (Where the back of that plastic mask got wet from all that pesky breathing you had to do?) Oh, didn't we feel sorry for the kid in the store bought Batman costume the day of the school parade? His mom didn't even make him a costume! (For the record, I've made only one costume for my kids. Not even one each, just one. Julia was a "peach" for her first Halloween. Now you can buy fairly elaborate costumes for less than the cost of making them - which doesn't seem right.)

Planning our routes once we got older to maximize our candy haul. Because in the 'olden days' we could trick-or-treat unattended by 3rd or 4th grade, and end up miles from home... with no cell phone to keep in contact. Mom didn't worry - it was Halloween!

That one scary house in every neighborhood that you stayed away from?

Cleaning out and carving pumpkins? Well, cleaning out pumpkins and then drawing the faces that your parents would carve with huge knives. I don't think I carved my own pumpkin until 7th grade.

Remember the parade at school? With the other grades marching before you, and your class joined on the end, and then once around the outside of the school (or gymnasium in bad weather) so the moms could get pictures? Cookies and apple cider provided by the room mothers afterwards, maybe some candy corn. I hear that still happens in some schools, but my daughters' school doesn't do that anymore.

Wearing costumes under winter coats, hats, mittens, and snow boots. The age old question of "who do we have here?" literally needed to be answered... NOBODY could tell I was Raggedy Ann under all those layers!

I remember the last time I went out Trick-or-Treating was with my neighborhood friend Christine. We planned our route for weeks in advance, and had a blast. It was all about quantity - and carrying your candy in a pillowcase because other containers would fill up too fast! I think we each got half a pillowcase full that night. We didn't eat all of it, though, as some of it was thrown out because it was candy we didn't like, and it was raided by our older brothers and sisters (we were both the youngest kids in the family), because going trick-or-treating was, for them, too babyish.

When my youngest daughter woke up today she shouted, "It's Halloween!"
Yes. It is!

Not Martha Stewart

2009-10-27T12:49:00.004-06:00

Suppose ole Martha ever suffered a blistered finger from boiling caramel just to see her daughter smile? I have it in my head that she is above that... not that she wouldn't make a caramel apple to see her daughter smile - quite the opposite. I'm betting her daughter practically got sick on all the goodies her mom made for her. No, I'm betting she never ended up with a blister from that stupid, sticky, hot caramel that leaps out at you as you are dipping the apples.

It really is much trickier than you might think.

Also, Martha's apples look like this:

Ours? Well, these are ours:

To quote a famous fun loving chef - Bon Appétit!

SMA Friday

2009-10-23T19:35:00.002-06:00

Almost forgot again... I keep seeing the same Hugh pictures over and over and over again, and frankly I've forgotten half of what I've posted already! Enjoy this candid Hugh.

Cougar Crush

2009-10-22T09:11:00.003-06:00

See? All it took was one really good snarky post and I feel like I'm back on the blogging wagon. Lindsay might be a train wreck, but it's like she's a go to girl when I'm feeling a little mean coming on. Is that wrong? (Don't answer that.)

Anyway, lets talk about Cougars for a moment. Not the animal, the women. I personally find this to be a ridiculous moniker - and so embarrassing for those to whom the word is applied. Finding out that you are attracted to a someone 10-15 years younger than yourself certainly isn't new. And it certainly shouldn't be NEWS. Do you know what they call a men who are attracted to someone significantly younger than themselves? Men. Women deserve better.

That said, even though I loathe the term "Cougar", I have to admit that I have a "Cougar Crush". I generally mock my friends who develop these crushes on young men - and now I shamefully join their ranks.

Do you watch GLEE? (If you are a facebook friend you already know how I adore this show.) There is a young man on that show that is so darling. His name is Mark Salling, and he plays Puck. A mean bully who has knocked up the head cheerleader - who also happens to be his best friend's girl. (Yes, I too had thought these story lines had been done to death, until I watched this show. Comes off as totally original, go figure.) LOVE this character.

To my friends, who I have mocked endlessly for their love of Zac and Corbin...well, I will never apologize for that - because I still find those crushes to be completely ridiculous. But now you can openly mock me in return. I GLEEfully acquiesce.

Ahhh, so I do remember how to blog after all!

2009-10-20T19:14:00.003-06:00

But only because I saw THIS today, and had to comment:

If those scary Meth commercials on late night television don't scare your kids? Show them this photo.

Then remind them that this girl is 23 years old.

Twenty three.

This? Would have scared the crap out of me. It's taken Donatella Versace a lifetime of cigarettes and celebrity drug culture to achieve this look - and Linds did it by the time she was only 23. Bravo child stardom and the life of fame. Isn't it beautiful?

We're BAAACCCKKKKKK!

2009-10-06T12:52:00.002-06:00

I posted these on Facebook, but wanted to share them on the blog also. Some of my friends don't use facebook! We are back from WDW, the Happiest Place on Earth! Our time there was magical... I'd go back in a heartbeat! I have to get the pictures all in order, but here are some from the day the girls visited the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. DD1 was Rosetta (a flower fairy friend of Tinkerbelle's), and DD2 was - naturally - Minnie Mouse. They LOVED the special attention they got from everyone that day - but especially from Minnie herself, and Rosetta doesn't get too many other Rosetta's in to visit her. She was wonderful.

DD1 and her twin:
DD2 posing in the entry to Fairyland:

She really did look magical and glittery:

Minnie, showing her best friend how to pose for a picture. Pure happiness for DD2:

We are so happy to have taken the girls to someplace so magical. They had a great time, we had a great time... and the memories will make us smile for a lifetime! (Can't wait to go back!)

SMA Friday

2009-10-02T09:38:00.002-06:00

Ha Ha Ha! Don't I WISH!!

Happy Friday from the Happiest Place on Earth!

I'll give you a topic...

2009-09-26T15:40:00.003-06:00

...and you can talk amongst yourselves.

"Why do children get sick on Friday nights?"

This question goes hand in hand with, "How come the stomach flu hits children at 2am?"

Which might beget the question, "How much medicine is appropriate to bring on vacation?"

Not kidding when I tell you that DD1 has a knack for getting sick on Friday nights, and that vacations bring out the sickness in her. She has had two throat cultures at that Little Clinic (up at King Soopers) on Saturdays - yes, they worked... she had strep, and two years ago had to take her to a clinic at Walmart on the Saturday before Easter because she came down with a raging ear infection. (The child who NEVER gets an ear infection!) Once in Atlanta she got a stomach virus and threw up 27 times in 24 hours. (Had we been here I would have had her hospitalized for dehydration.) The child came down with a HORRIBLE cough on the second night of a two night trip with her Brownie Troop last Spring - and the mothers there called me about what could they give her? (Her entire cabin lost sleep that night.)

Why am I bringing this up now?

We are leaving for our WDW vacation on Monday morning. Cue DD1 coming down with the flu on FRIDAY NIGHT. I could have put money on it. She's off of school all of Friday. (side note: we aren't able to do anything fun because my car decided that it needed to have some expensive repairs done NOW and it took two days to be fixed.) She wasn't feeling punk until that afternoon. Late that afternoon. Certainly too late for me to process, "Oh, perhaps I'd better run her to the peds office for a quick check to make sure we're not dealing with anything awful." Directly before dinner she gets her fever. The peds office is now closed until after we are to depart on Monday.

Great.

Turns out we don't know FOR SURE if she has the flu. The urgent care clinics are swamped today, but the nurse at Children's hospital (don't you love that Children's has a concerned parent line) said they were seeing all kinds of the illness I had described, and it's most likely Type A or Swine flu - they're different. Good news? The flu they are seeing lasts 3-5 days and is only dangerous if patients are having difficulty breathing. Does my daughter have any breathing difficulty? "No." Well, they say, you can call your pediatrician to see if they'll prescribe anything like Tamiflu, but we won't prescribe it through the hospital unless the child is hospitalized. OK, I'll call the on-call pediatrician.

Now, I should probably mention that we picked our pediatric practice before DD1 was born - and really liked this one because they have an integrated health care philosophy. (Husband in particular liked this.) They are proponents of using homeopathic supports in combination with western medicine. I wasn't surprised that the on-call doctor wouldn't give us a tamiflu script - disappointed but not surprised. His reasoning was that there is now a shortage as it's been prescribed for entire families at a time (which- incidentally - is exactly what I was wanting), and this particular flu seems to be short enough in duration that the effectiveness is in question. (Still, would like to have it in my hot little hands... but I had known before I spoke to him that I wouldn't be getting any. Or, I would have started there!)

Husband is out getting Echinacea, Vitamin C, Zinc, and BHI Inflammation. I'm also taking Motrin, mucinex, delsym, benedryl, ocean spray and vicks vapo rub with us.

I'm not worried about getting the flu. If I get it Husband can take the girls to the parks. I'm not worried about our activity level, as we have 6 1/2 days in the parks and we can take it slow if we need to. I'm worried about two things: 1) DD2 getting it and 2) DD1 being run down and getting a different seasonal virus from the airplane air.

It is what it is. As of right now we're not cancelling our trip.
If she's worse tomorrow we'll re-evaluate.

Cross your fingers, send good thoughts... all prayers are appreciated.
Mom? Are you listening?