Meet Marlin

Yep, we made it to Build A bear as planned yesterday. Even with it NOT being part of a regular mall, it was pretty crowded. Thing Two knew pretty quickly what new critter he wanted to add to his collection. Marlin the Koala Bear. Thing One, as is often the case, took a bit longer and finally decided on a boxer dog. I can't disclose his dog's name. Yep, as is often the case, new friends receive a variation of his own name. So, we have loads of "thing ones" living under our roof.

So, today is the last day of 2005. All in all, it has been a good year for us. We've stayed relatively healthy, found contentment in both our professional and personal lives and have some degree of financial security. Can one really ask for more and not be considered selfish or spoiled? Yeah, I didn't think so!

Happy New Year! And well, you know where we'll be tonight: tucked in safely at home, MIGHT make it up late enough to watch the New Yorkers usher in 2006. Certainely won't make it up for a Rocky Mtn. New Years welcome!

House of Homebodies

It is a well known fact that in order to qualify for membership in the House of Chang you must be a homebody. We go to bed early. We are morning people. We prefer to avoid places that are crowded. And about our favorite thing to do is just hang out at home. With the Things being off for Winter Break, we seem to have taken this habit to the extreme. Thing One is the most content to just stay home. With hubby and myself following close behind. It is Thing Two that seems to have a bit more of a desire to go and do stuff.

So, with this being the last day of their break, I've agreed to take them to Build A bear workshop to spend their gift cards that they got for Christmas. I know,it is mostly a place associated with girls, but my guys love this place. And they've spent all week trying to decide whether they will buy stuff for their bears OR build new ones. I've not told them there is probably enough in the gift card to do BOTH!

And I of course, will take way too many pictures of the process...because you know, I got this fancy new camera and NOTHING on the immediate horizon that will require such a high tech camera. So, until then, I will practive my skills by photographing the events of every day life.

That is until I get the urge to plan another outing..

Having a Very Merry Time...

Well, the BIG day has come and gone...and all in all, The Things had a very Merry Christmas and so did the parents. Santa must not have "SEEN IT ALL" as the boys really scored with the guy in the big red suit. As is always the case, they got the most excited about the unexpected... For Thing One: the stuffed moose that sings almost as bad as I do, a Simpsons DVD for Thing Two and a TuTu for Moosey who had been warned "if you don't behave, we'll dress you like a girl!" (Thing One had reported that Moosey was the reason for all the mischief and messes we'd discovered! Hmmmm) I've now found a new and effective threat: keep it up, and I'll dress you like a girl is sure to result in improved behavior.

So, without further chatter...here are some photos of all of us enjoying the day.
In case you are wondering, hey, how can Thing Two have the camera AND a picture is being taken? Well, hubby really scored by giving me a new camera! Oh my, I guess I have been a good wife, mother, friend this year!

And as for the man in a kilt, well, if you are local, you'll know that is Dom's bestest buddy. And if you aren't local, well, seriously, they are just good friends!

Merry Belated Christmas to all!

Equal time for each thing...

I posted a photo of Thing One contemplating his Gingerbread Creation. But, with the templates that you use on Blogger, I can't seem to figure out how to add multiple photos to the same entry. So, here is a photo of Thing Two creating his house.

Each year they have so much fun making their houses. And, I work SO hard to keep my hands out of their creations. With a name like Martha, well, you can imagine how hard it is to not interfere with their creativity. But, I managed. And now, presenting the House that Thing Two built...

London Britches Falling Down...

That's what the Things were singing as we left the grocery store this morning. And the funniest part is: that YES both of their pants were falling down. They've inherited their father's waist line, making it a never ending challenge to find pants that fit. For awhile, slims worked but then they thickened a bit through the middle so we stocked up on regulars...now they've both had a bit of a stretch in growth but not in girth and I'm wishing we had a few more slims in the drawer. Both are constantly hitchin' up their pants. They look like teens...only difference is, they don't want their boxers (or briefs in this case) showing. Here's hoping Santa brings them boys some belts! Or else, I"ll be hitting the after Christmas sales in search of pants that fit!

ONE...

Ok, I'm a copycat when it comes to blog entries, but this one looked like fun.

1 Minute ago: Surfing the web, realized I should probably update the blog
1 Hour ago: Relaxing on the massage table next to my good friend Carol (which
by the way was awesome. If she invites you, GO!)
1 Day ago: Hosting a college buddy of Dom's and his two kids (good people)
1 Week ago: Winding down after my weekly volunteer gig at the Things school
1 Month ago: Wondering how I could get out of cooking Turkey Day dinner (thanks
to the H's I once again managed to get out of cooking the big meal)
1 Year ago: Ok, these first 5 were challenging enough, you expect me to remember
LAST year? Sorry...Couldn't tell you.
1 Decade ago: Hosting our wedding reception for our friends in VA...Having gotten
married out in CA the month before with just immediate family
attending.
1 Score ago: Ok, first I confirmed a score is 20 years ago, so lets see I would
be on Christmas break from my Jr. Year in college. Wasn't that
the semester the folks graciously agreed to have me and 6 of
classmates spend the night between our two clinical rotations at
the house? Yes, my parents were gracious entertainers (a trait
I'm hoping I inherited)
1 Quarter Century ago: Just finished my sophomore year on the HS swim team and
playing clarinet in the marching band. Enjoyed both greatly
although I did not excel at either.

Hey, my memory isn't so rusty after all!

It's beginning to feel a lot like FIESTA time?

With Thing One doing Second Grade-Take Two this year, a lot of the things become repetitive. I recall last year being so annoyed that his class wasn't going to have even a Holiday party, but instead a Fiesta?! Ok, I ranted, that is taking this PC crap a bit too far.

Well, guess what, it wasn't his teacher being party phobic like I thought(although I still stand by my assessment she was parent-phobic!)...it is the "plan" or curriculum or whatever you want to call it for second grade at our area school. Their big country social studies unit is Mexico and the party marks the end of the unit of study. The teachers apparently time it to occur around Christmas: gotta have a party yes, but lets tie it into what we are already studying.

So, today was the "fiesta". And you know what? It was such a sweet event...the kids had done an assortment of crafts this past month and the teacher had the room very festively decorated. They had made serapes out of brown grocery bags. They had made woven placemates and Gods Eyes (I think that is what they are called: we made them as kids, yarn wrapped around two pieces of sticks). They feasted on tacos, beans (well, not Thing one! I was thrilled he at least tried the ground beef and had two chips). They made pinatas out of lunch bags and the teacher quietly filled them with treats for the kids to take home. And they finished off the day with a Mexican Hat Dance. Even our "stage frightened" Thing One got up and performed!

So I guess this grumpy old mom should admit...it was a very festive holiday party...as we celebrated the culture of Mexico. This kids had a blast and really did put on a show for us parents. I'm so happy to have a teacher this year that isn't parent phobic...it helps me see that my Thing is fitting just fine with his new set of classmates.

Finding My Inner Martha...

Well, I'll be...Maybe I can bake after all! For those that know my extended family, you know I come from a long line of excellent bakers. There was Grandma G. and her famous sugar cookies. And Grandma B: well, she did indeed work magic in that kitchen of hers. Yes, she made doughnuts from scratch that would make the folks at Krispy Kreme green with envy! Good thing she passed away before we all became aware of the dangers of carbs: as breads were indeed her house speciality! Both my parents enjoyed cooking and baking. But it seems lately, I've not done so well with the baking. Maybe it is the altitude: I"m living a lot further above sea level than my ancestors that excelled at baking. Maybe it is attitude: Thing Two and I are the only ones that eat the treats so I don't always put the effort into baking like I would if more of the family enjoyed the final product. Who knows...

But, with the holidays fast approaching, and Thing One being assigned "Christmas cookies" to bring to the fiesta today (ah, another topic for another mood), I figured I should give it a try.

I bought this box of mix



And guess what...all three types turned out PERFECT. They had that "holiday" flavor to them but without the hassle of measuring the flour, adjusting for altitude and so on an so forth.

Martha...giddy with success and wondering what shall she try next?

Retro Week

We'll be hosting Retro week in the Chang Kitchen this week. Yep, the microwave technician showed up Friday (actually, pretty promptly: we'd had a arrival time window from 0800-1200 and he had come and gone before I'd gotten back from dropping off the Things at school at 0800, Dom let him in). And, yes the microwave isn't working. But, he doesn't keep the part for the smaller sized microwaves on hand so he'll have to order it. Should be in next week.

So, until then it is retro week in the kitchen!
.............I'll be popping popcorn on the stove just like Grandma did
.............I"ll have to plan out my menu in advance just like my mom did to make sure things have time to thaw
.............I'll be hollering to my family "COME AND GET IT WHILE IT IS HOT" just like housefraus have been doing for generatins. Heck, I might even reinstate the use of the dinner bell!


And if we still find ourselves cranky and spoiled...well come on folks it is only a week... I think we can manage (now, if this were my TiVO there would be NO chance in H*%! I'd last more than a day without sending the hubby out to buy a new unit ASAP!)

Cold and Cranky...

No matter where you live, you've probably noticed that we've had a bit of a taste of winter. Out here in the Land of Sunshine, yes, we expect winter weather. We don't expect the weather to linger for more than a couple days. We've had a run of rather severly cold days...so much so that the snow we got last weekend is still on the ground! That is practically unheard of! Usually when it snows, I have to agree to take the Things sledding IMMEDIATELY or else you run the risk of the snow being gone by the next day.

But, it isn't the weather that is making me cranky. It is my darn microwave. I tell you: I'm cursed when it comes to small appliances. I'm on my 3rd microwave in 8 years. And right now, we've got light, we've got sound, but we've got no heat. What good is a microwave with no heat?

And a microwave is one of those appliances that you use alot more often then you realize. Want to defrost the chicken for dinner? Usually not a problem. Lately, it has been. Hubby running late with work (or gets an important work related phone call right as he's sitting down for dinner) and his dinner gets cold. Again, usually not a problem. Just warm it up in the microwave. Lately: not a workable solution. The things favorite breakfast is "cooked pretzels" (those giant pretzels that I put salt on and nuke). Yep, a problem and challenge to fix without a microwave.

Oh sure, there are ways to work through these problems but it all just makes me CRANKY!

Hopefully the technician will fix the problem tomorrow and we'll be on our merry way to defrosting chicken, warming dinner, cooking pretzels and most importantly this time of year: making Grandma Audrey's famous family fudge!

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Well...the card went postal yesterday. The online ordering is complete. The tree is going up this weekend. Yep, I'd have to say, we're well on our way to enjoying Christmas!

Hello to any new lurkers! I hope you aren't too bored with my stuff. Oh who am I kidding, nobody reads this but me. That's ok, I write for me...so that I can remember the fun stuff that happens in my life.

So, yes, I'm well on my way to my usual orderly Christmas celebration. Yes, I get those cards out early. But you have to understand the way my brain works: I can't start the baking until I've done the decorating. I can't do the decorating until I've done the shopping. And I can't start the shopping until the cards are done. For me, they are like the starter pistol to a race.....BOOM, and she's off!

And so there ya have it: I'm not really uber organized...just have an overly orderly mind and things must follow a predictable pattern! Ha, and we wonder where Thing One gets his "issues" from. Yep, that apple fell right from the Martha tree!

Doors Open at 5 am

So, yesterday Thing One and Thing Two are BEGGING me to take them shopping. I told them "but we don't need anything" (and to myself I am thinking, there is NO way you'd get me out there on Black Friday). They both agreed (that there was nothing we needed, only things they'd like) but together they announced "but Mom, doors open at 0500 am!"

Ah yes, Black friday ads were successful in getting my boys to THINK they needed to go shopping. It also points out that perhaps the boys are watching too much tv! We'll know that indeed is the case when they start asking for the new Barbie Vanity that seems to be the IT item based on the frequency that Cartoon Network airs the commercial.

Yep, that's my boy...

Ok, it's a known fact here in the House of Chang, that although Thing 2 may LOOK like his dad, he's his MOM in more ways than any of us can keep track of.

Tonight, was just another example. We're all watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We're at the scene were Mike TV is about be shrunk. But, first they are showing the technology where they take the GIANT chocolate bar and zap it into the tv set...making it oh so very tiny.

Thing Two says to me: "now that would give me nightmares! Shrinking Chocolate, that's terrible!".

Ah, yep, he's my boy! (although I admit that I have other fears besides my giant chocolate bar being reduced to less than a bite sized morsel!) *photo in this post was taken on a trip to Florida earlier this year. Right after he inhaled his first "Mickey Bar! A proud mom moment!

Where were you ten years ago?

Well, although most days my memory is as faulty as the next middle aged woman's, I do remember where I was ten years ago today...

I was getting hitched! The sun was starting to set over the San Pablo Bay. We were both a bit nervous: wondering what we were getting ourselves into. I looked around and saw Dom's best friend and his wife along with my family and I knew that it was going to be ok! I'd found my match!

So, there you have it, we've made it to the ten year mark. That's quite an accomplishment I think. And I can honestly say, he's still the best...oh sure, there have been those days when I wouldn't have had such a glowing review...but for the most part, he's my perfect match!

And being the practical people that we are, we just finished dining on take out from Chipotles while the kids scarf down a Happy Meal and we all are watching cartoon network together! Yep, leave it to those crazy Changs: we're always on the cutting edge of a wild and crazy time!

(oh fear not, we did do the romantic dinner earlier in the week while my dad was still around to provide free child care!)

Happy Anniversary Hubby!

Oh where have I been?

I know...bad blogger! No recent pictures. No recent postings for that matter. You'd think I'd finally gotten a life or something equally exciting, eh?

Nah, it has just been a busy couple of weeks here at the House of Chang!
First there was Halloween. Or as my boys would say "the best Halloween EVER!" I'm not sure what prompted such a glowing review. It could be that things all went rather smoothly...from perfect weather for trick or treating, to a Halloween Bash with many of the boys' pals able to join us for a couple hours of rowdy fun.

And then there was a visit from Grandpa. It's always fun to have Grandpa visit and this time proved to be even better as I took off for the weekend and the guys had a GUYS ONLY weekend. I"m not sure what all went on while I was gone but somehow Thing Two now can use all sorts of slang to describe his elimination habits. Gee WIZ, I guess you have to take the good with the bad when you skip out on your family for an entire weekend.

Which brings me to the big event for me. Many of you know I"ve got a couple things I really enjoy. Scrapbooking is one of them. The other is hanging out on the computer. Oh there are other things too...but these are two of my favorite hobbies. Imagine what fun I had when I blended these two hobbies together for the Scrapshare retreat here in the Land of Sunshine. Several of us geek-wannabees visit a message board dedicated to scrapbooking and this past weekend, several of us who live in the same general area, got together to meet up with our imaginary friends. I had a blast and am pleased to report that none of the fellow scrapbookers were imaginary: they all had a great sense of humor and a generous spirit. I look forward to meeting up with this group again...and hope that our little gathering can continue to grow as more folks discover this group.

So, that about wraps things up here. I'd hoped to post some pictures of me with my new online pals...but in my haste I somehow deleted some files. So, instead, you're stuck with a picture of Moose Boy.

I vow to get back in the groove with more postings...as I really do like my time that I spend crafting my blog postings! I"ve missed this creative outlet!

Forgetting an important task...

As I finished tucking in Thing Two, I turned off the light. I hear a very weary voice say "But, Mom, you forgot something!"

"What is that son?" I asked. Tired myself, eager to have him go to sleep....

"You forgot to give me my goodnight kiss!"

Uh oh...so I leaned over and kissed his forehead.
"Much better" he sighed as he drifted off to sleep.

There you go kid, breaking my heart yet again!

Mom, I want a Mowhog...

Fingers crossed that since he can't say the word right, the woman at the barber shop won't know what he's asking for?

Yeah, right....a mom can always dream...

What if I don't like Him?

A little background: I grew up attending church routinely. As an adult, not so routine. And lately, not even the C&E participant. (Christmas and Easter). This was ok for me, but as a mom, I was starting to realize that I owed my boys at least the exposure to organized religion. I need to give them tools by which to make a decision about religion later on in their life. So, along with two of my dearest friends (who've also faced this similar dilemma), we packed up all the young uns and went to the church on the hill.

So, last night as we were tucking the boys into bed, Thing One said "Mom, I'm a bit worried. You know, I don't know this Jesus man. What if I don't like him?"

Thing Two, in his usual always has an answer state, says "but you have to like Him. He made us! What's not to like?"

Thing One pondered again for a moment and said "Ok, but why is his name Jesus and not something like Patrick?".

Oh yeah baby, it is time these boys get a bit more exposure to church on a regular basis....

It is ok Mom, you'll always have Thing One...

Thing Two is my more helpful thing. On Sunday he decided he wanted to help vacuum, so I fixed him up with our little portable unit and said "want to vacuum the stairs?" Sure, he grinned eagerly, as he is a child who has yet to realize this is a "chore" and not something to agree to quite so quickly.

when he finished, I praised him for his efforts (just like those mommy manuals tell you to do) and I sighed "Oh my, my baby is all grown up, what am I going to do without my little baby?"

That's when he replied, in the most sincere, honest way (you know how kids can be sometimes) "don't worry Mom, you'll always have Thing One".
(editors note: Oh course, he didn't call his brother "thing one" but I don't think I need to use actual names).

It made me happy and sad all at the same time. He's right: we will always have Thing One. For those of you who know all about Thing One and his journey, you can see how perfect Thing Two's observation was. And yet, it made me proud that at the young age of 6, Thing Two knows that, recognizes it and loves his brother just the same!

Ok, enough with the sap and sentimental stuff. For your viewing pleasure, I've included a photo of Hubby. He was kind enough to paint our bedroom this weekend. The problem with any home improvement project, and especially painting, is once you've got one room done, you realize how badly the other rooms need a fresh coat of paint! Hmmm...wonder when it is safe to bring up more paint jobs? Timing is of course everything!

And snow it did...

Well, the snow lasted pretty much all day yesterday. And as I took the boys to school, I looked around the neighborhood and thanked my lucky stars that ALL we lost was a silly old patio cover. The destruction of trees in our neighborhood is heart breaking.

Again, for those of you who DON"T live out here in the Land of Sunshine, you probably don't understand our sense of sadness and loss. Trees don't grow very fast out here: so to see my neighbor's 12 year old tree, which was just starting to look like a great tree, cracked down the middle. Well, it kind of makes ya sad.

I know, in the grand scheme of things, a cracked tree isn't the end of the world. We're shown images every day of devastion far worse than a broken tree. But, big or small, it is sad just the same.

Let it snow...

yes, those of you who read this from places far beyond! The land of Sunshine was covered with a THICK WET blanket of white stuff. Fear not, it never lasts too long. But the first shower of the season always takes us by surprise. So far, we've been "surprised" by having our pretty patio thing collapse (forgot to remove the canpy, snow has bent the frame). I've also realized that the Things outgrew last year's snow boots but I hadn't gotten them boots in their new size. And finally, I'm not sure exactly what "delayed" start to school means. I think it means they start at 0945, but I'd better go and double check. But first, cofee...
PS: Fear not, I"m not THAT organized, this is an archived photo from last Spring!

Not much news...

Well, it was a quiet yet busy week. If you have school aged kids, then you probably know what I'm saying. Nothing wicked crazy happened, but here it is Saturday morning. When I last thought about what day it was it was Monday morning. The week just flew by, doing a whole lot of the same stuff. Over and over.

Hubby has taken the first, and HUGE step towards being his own boss. I'm proud of him, excited for him, and just looking forward to the next 90 days passing by uneventfully as we sort out new insurance plans, new hours, and submitting invoices while waiting for payment on said invoices.

I'm not feeling all that chatty so instead, check out Thing One and Moosey. They remain inseperable!

Not enough trikes? No problem...

The Things had off from school last week, so on Friday I suggested we open up Camp Chang. They each invited a couple pals over and before we knew it, we had a full house. The weather was beautiful and they spent most of the day outside in that boring backyard. As you can see from this photo, even though we had more things than trikes, they found a solution to their problems. It was really quite a sight, that is for sure!

Which brings me to another concern: do those things have ESP? How do they know that I'm contemplating purging some of their outgrown play stuff? I had just thought to myself "time we pass those trikes on to some little kid in need". And then POOF: they are playing with their old trikes, having contests and races...as if they KNEW I was up to no good! Same with their Rescue Hero stuff. I even had a family picked out that I was going to pass on their outgrown stuff. (that's the tricky part: you want the toys to go to good use, but you can't give them to the family down the street with the young boy because the green eyed jealousy monster will spot the outgrown item and shriek FOUL! That is MINE!).

Come on Things...quite playing mind games with your momma! she's getting old and sentimental...oh but you probably knew that...that's why the trikes and the rescue hero fire truck remains in the stash of stuff!

He Survived....

Thing One= No problem with the dentist. We borrowed a friend's sleep mask to block the light and with that in place, he sailed right through the process.

Thing Two= Definetly our more sensitive thing. He requested Hubby to be by his side during the numbing portion of the visit so I can't give full commentary on the experience but I understand it was not a pretty sight.

I'm tired and just want to share with the world that most days he is a happy thing. Unless the day involves a trip to see the dentist!

Look Ma, More cavities!

Lucky things: they inherited their dad's good looks but their Mom's crummy teeth. They brush, they fluoride rinse, they've even been sealed and still they get cavities. Poor guys! Also, Thing Two has lost a couple baby teeth but right now, he's got three teeth sharing the space designed for just two so when we take them back for their fillings they are going to "wiggle" that extra baby tooth out. Yep, grown ups, just so you know: dentists use code lingo to avoid announcing "we're gonna yank that sucker right out of your mouth you poor little thing!".

It should be a fun day around these parts come Wednesday when we get the cavities filled and the tooth "wiggled" out. I'm just grateful they could fit the boys in this week while they are off track for just this one week.

But the beauty of it all: with Hubby's new work schedule, he's free in the mornings and thus will get to come and experience all the joy that comes with taking children to the dentist for fillings! He doesn't have to be at work until 11, their appointments are at 0930 and the dentist is but a hop skip and a jump to Hubby's office.

Gotta dash: the guys are at the school "shootin' hoops" and I've promised Beef and Snow peas for dinner. Join us around 5 if you are hungry...

Now Remember Kids...

No Running, No Diving and No Salt on My Margaritas...

Not too long ago, I found some napkins that had this printed on them with a vintage photo of a mom and some kids. They seemed perfect for our circle of friends here in the Land of Sunshine!

Hubby has been working the evening shift the past couple of weeks. This has meant that the Things and I are home alone in the evening. And, well, ya know, when the Cat is away, us mice like to PLAY! So, last night I hosted what will hopefully be the first of many Friday Night Happy Hours.

Grownups know what Happy Hour is. And even if it has been years since we've gotten to go to a real happy hour, we know that it involves something to nibble on, something to sip on and some friends to chat with.

When I told the Things about my idea, they were very excited. I'm not sure what they thought it involved but they sure were happy for the hour and then some!

It was a perfect Fall evening here in the Land of Sunshine so the things and their gang spent most of the time outside. Now for those of you who have seen our backyard, you can easily agree that we could be hot contenders for "America's Most Boring Backyard" contest. But, that never seems to stop the kids from having fun.

Last night, while us mommies (and one brave Dad) sat at the kitchen table discussing hot topics, the kids created a new game. They called it Bumper Buddies. It looks sort of like Sumo wrestling crossed with human bumper cars. Strap your back pack on your front and charge after your friends. Experience not necessary!

And is often the case, Happy Hour turned into Happy HourS and well, that is indeed a very good thing!

I want Mommy to walk me to school today...

Ah, yes, after declining my offer to trim his nails, I though "Yeah Baby, he does want me after all!"

Nope, hold your applause until you hear the rest of the story....

Thing Two, when asked, who would you like to walk with you to school this morning said
"I want mommy to walk me because, well, you know, she's got the bigger belly and " At which point he caught himself and stopped mid-sentence. Uh oh: the truth just slipped out! We said "go ahead and finish". Which he did "well, walking is good if you have a bigger belly, right?"

Children sometimes are TOO good at telling the truth!
And yes, after I got home from school, I showed him: I ate his leftover doughnut!

Bits and Pieces

First up, of course, has to be the picture of the day (or every other day, or every third day or whenever I get tired of this blog craze). Thing Two and I went on a kindie field trip yesterday. A beautiful day here in the land of sunshine. Lots of walking and exploring and miracle of all miracles: we came back with all 51 students that we took with us! :) Not sure if all the parent chaperones made it back: but as one of the teachers said "you grown ups are all on yer own" (close your eyes and imagine a Tall Texan with a bit of twang delivering this message!)


Next up: I gotta get a REAL job! Ok, of course, I have a really important job: caring for hubby and the things. But, with them both in school, I am finding I want a bit more structure to my week. I thought volunteering would be a good fit. But, after an afternoon with Nurse Nit Wit, I realize, if I'm going to be subjected to ditzy on a regular basis, then perhaps a pay check at the end of the shift might help with my coping skills. For those of you who know Nurse NW, you can appreciate how she set down some papers on her desk that I had given her (and yet was still adding info to) . About 3 minutes after I gave them to her, I went to get them (to add that additional information that I had) and they were GONE! At first I thought it was my sometimers kicking in (you know, sometimes you remember stuff, sometimes ya get a bit confused). So, I retraced my steps. Nope, couldn't find them. I asked Nurse NW. "Well, they were right there, wonder where they went?" was her scatterbrained response. After 15 minutes of searching, I found them in her emergency phone card system. I think she put away one piece of paper and didn't realize she'd put away 20 others sheets with that one piece. Of course, we can all see how you can confuse ONE sheet of paper with a stack of over 25 right, right? NOT (can you feel the sarcasm I'm chanelling?)

Give me strength or a good Merlot...either one will help me get through
And lest you think she'll see this post and get mad...fear not, she has been in the job for 3 school years now and can't remember how to turn on her computer! The office ladies print off her email for her! She needs to retire/resign/ride off into the sunset so I can have her job...
But until then...I need a different job!

Duties as assigned: Devil's manicurist...

Yes, in every job description there is that "duties as assigned category". For hubby, his latest task is that of manicurist to our house devil. That would be Thing Two sporting an old Tazmanian Devil costume. When I asked him "can mommy trim your nails?" I was firmly told "No, Dad needs to do it because you pinch too hard!". Funny, that's what some of my former patients used to fuss about when I gave shots. Glad to see I haven't lost my touch! Haha!

It takes so little to amuse us..

Yes, we're not America's Most exciting family and that was proven again last night. We've not watched a lot of network tv this summer as everything was in reruns. Well, hubby was clearing out our saved tivo programs and said "hey, we've not seen this one, have we?" Imagine our surprise and joy when we discovered that for some of our favorite shows: it is new episode time! YAHOO! The long wait is over...

And because of that, I'm guessing you might expect to see a slow down in the blog posting hubby and I do on our respective blogs.

Off to watch some shows...

Murphy's Law for Tuesday..

Why is it, after weeks of not being inspired to do any scrapbooking or stamping, am I finally getting a burst of creativity...and now I have to stop and go to the darn dentist? Grrrrr...
Oh well, it is supposed to be a short visit as I"m getting delivery of what will hopefully be my last crown. 40 years of teeth grinding left me with lots of cracked teeth. Now they are all beautifully crowned with gold! Oh joy: yep, we've paid for the dentist's mortgage a time or two these past couple of years.

Here's hoping that I'll still have the urge to scrap/stamp once I get back. And if not, I hope my Muse doesn't fly away for another indefinite period of time!

In Honor of International "How to Talk like a pirate Day...

I bring you the ThingTwo as a Pirate!
I am wondering if anyone else knew that today was international talk like a pirate day?
Here's a little pirate themed poem that I thought I'd share with ya:

Dear Lord, I pray fer wisdom, t' understand a man, t' love an' t' forgive th' lads, an' fer patience fer his moods. On accoun' O',lord, if I pray fer strength, I'll just beat him t' death!

I found some other PG-13 pirate humor, but since this is supposed to be a family blog, I'll let you do your own googling!

Dude, where's my post?

Ok, I guess it was just a sign that I needed to not write such a long winded post. I went to preview it. Tried to correct a typo (ok, there were several, and will always be several. If you are a member of the grammar police, you may step away from this blog immediately!).

And then POOF! Half of my stuff disappeared.
I know, user error but still...
I'll take it as a sign that I need to step away from this computer and go clean up the kitchen.
Hubby and things are off golfing...
HOME ALONE and I am still on the computer.
I gotta get a life...
Off in search of that life...or at least off in search of a cleaner kitchen

If you Give a Thing a Moose...

It all started quite innocently when some friends sent Thing One a book called "If You Give a Moose a Muffin". And with it came a stuffed moose, just like the one in the book. That was almost 2 years ago. That small gift sparked what has become a long lasting interest for Thing One. He's just plain moose crazy!

When Grandpa G. visited us this summer and we were enjoying photos from his trip to Alaska, guess which picture got the biggest response from Thing One? Yep, the one of a moose sticking out his tongue (ok, well, it really was just eating but Grandpa caught him mid chew and well, it was a huge hit with both boys). We've read the book a thousand times at least. Aunt Ling and Uncle Carlos provided us with a bit of respite by finding us another Moose themed story book that we've read several times over as well.

As for the stuffed collection, original moose has continued to add more members to his family. No, silly, not through natural reproduction but through Mommy's love for shopping and friends and family knowing about the Moose Crazed Boy that lives in the House of Chang.

Today was Thing One's Star Student day. It is the one day of the year when the child gets to bring in items to share with the class that tell something about who they are. Of course the ENTIRE moose family got to go to school today and meet the class. He also took in his favorite CD: the soundtrack to Madagascar. When asked "what do you like?"...he broke out in song "I like to Move It, Move It"...just like in the song from the movie.

As a mom, it is exciting to see Thing One blossom and take an interest in being center stage. He was so proud to take his bag full of stuff and was so excited when retelling me all about the days events. Yep, today was indeed a good one for all of us!

Picture Day...

It's picture day, it's picture day, oh yeah! Ok, so when you are a mom to male things, picture day isn't quite as fun as when there are little girls in the house. Or so I would assume...since well, we've only got male things being raised in this house. So, here's how you prepare them for picture day: make sure they've had a recent hair cut (or buzz as is the case in our house). Check face to ensure no toothpaste is joining in the fun. Shirt: inspect for cleanliness and make sure that today is not the day they decide to provide free advertising for Cartoon Network or other assorted characters on their clothing. Pick out picture package: always tough since you have to order without seeing the proof. Place order in boys backpack and hope they don't loose it between now and the start of school. Then you just wait...and wait and wait...When in a couple weeks the pictures show up and you are either happy or sad. I'm learning though: try not to be too picky. Last year, Thing One's first picture looked "goofy". I had them retake it on retake day. The second set showed up and they were REALLY bad. So much that the receptionist for the school called me aside and said "we got Thing's pictures back today" followed by a long pause and then an immediate offer to call the photographer for me and arrange for yet another retake. This was BEFORE she even showed me the pictures. Oh yeah, they were BAD, really bad. I laughed and said "lets just see if we can get those first ones back, they were ok, I was just being picky". HA: Imagine that, ME, picky? That'll teach me, eh?

So this year, I'm just hoping for open eyes, hair sort of in place and no lunch being sported on the mouth. Anything beside that and we'll be pleased.

Just in case, I pulled out my digital camera (ok, wait OUR digital, even though I'm the one using it 90% of the time) and snapped a couple pictures before they left for school. Not bad for a mom, eh?

Here's hoping that third time is the charm...

Ok, hold your horses! Nope, the Chang Gang is complete. We ain't talking about "that" type of 3rd! No, I'm referring to Thing2's teacher count for the school year. We're finishing up the 5th week of school and we learned on Monday that his class has yet another new teacher: Mrs. V.
The first teacher was about 40wks pregnant at the start of school and BIG surprise, she lasted all of 2 days before the maternity sub showed up. This woman, as pleasant as can be, sort of looked like a deer in headlights and acknowledged her last teaching gig was with 4th graders. BIG difference between kindies and 4th grade. Apparently, the long term sub the school had hired took a different job at the last minute and this sub agreed to pinch hit. Oh joy: just what you want for your baby's first experience...a pinch hitter? (read: HEAVY sarcasm!). Now, we've learned that pregnant teacher has opted not to return for the school year and pinch hitter wants to work only part time morning which brings us to teacher #3 for the afternoon class.

I want to rant and raise a fuss: how dare they do this to our children? Flipflopping teachers. These kids need stability. But, I've peeked in the class and I've watched the new teacher greet her students at the start of the day and say goodbye to them at the end of the day. Why fuss when the end result is a jewel? It took awhile but I think these kids finally got someone who is as excited and enthused about kindergarten as they are! Now, let the fun times begin...even if it is 4 weeks late.

Man, these nights in Fall sure are long...

Poor Thing2 had a restless night last night. "Bad dreams" he said. After the second awakening, I said "come crawl in our bed". It has been a long time since we've had any wake ups, much less 2 in the same night. As he snuggled down under the covers, he said "Man, these nights in Fall sure are long aren't they?".

Yep, we're thinking the Indian Days of Summer might be drawing to a close here in the land of Sunshine. Yesterday the boys had to put on jackets for the walk to school. Hubby wondered where his new jacket was but hey, they don't carry his size at Gap Kids! By afternoon, more clouds had rolled in and we were thinking perhaps wearing shorts wasn't such a great idea!

But fear not, the forecast for tomorrow is mid 80s! So, no, son, the nights in Fall aren't long, but rather the weather is quite perplexing!

Here's hoping tonight's sleep is a bit more peaceful for Thing 2 and his momma! I'm getting too old for those wake up calls in the middle of the night!

Hey, where are the pictures your promised?

Ok, so lets be honest. You really won't be checking our blog to learn about what I'm fixing for dinner and whether Hubby liked it, right? You want to see pictures of Thing One and Thing Two. I'll see what I can do. Lord knows I take enough pictures of those handsome boys and am hopelessly behind in scrapbooking. So, at least on a blog I can share them with the world. That is assuming I can figure out how to attach an image? Lets see if this works...

Welcome to our family blog

Yes, both hubby and I have caught the blog craze. Okay, geeky housewife that I am, I'm the one who had the first blog here in the House of Chang. But, I'm a bit shy about letting people read what I post on my personal blog. Yet, as hubby pointed out, "then what's the point?" He's right (and yes, it is here in writing, I admit it!). A blog should be shared. So, I've decided to create a family blog. A spot for us to post some of our activities, a few photos and just have a spot to keep in touch with family and friends.

We admit we are probably not going to make any top 10 lists for most exciting families in America. We can't guarantee that it will be updated any more frequently than the web page. But, at least I can take some responsibility for updates on a blog. A web page: nope, I know NOTHING about how to update such a site.

This is the internet after all, so in order to maintain some level of privacy, I'll use a bit of code. You know the boys, right? Well, we'll call the oldest one Thing One and the younger one, Thing Two. You know where we live right? Well, we haven't moved nor do we have any intention of relocating any time soon. So, no need to disclose our exact location. We're still here, in that state that has lots of sunshine. I don't work outside of the home so I shouldn't have to worry about getting fired from my job for venting. Nor do I plan to vent about my loving husband: that's what phone calls and girls night out is for, eh?

So, here we go...we hope you will stop by from time to time and see what we're up to. Feel free to add a comment or just say howdy!