Hey, did you miss me?

I'm home from my scrapbooking retreat. Had a wonderful time and I even managed to scrapbook 30 pages! I'd hope to get about 40 done but that's ok: I'm pleased with my pages and am glad I took the time on several of them to get it "just right". Spending time with my good friend Mrs. Mahoney was also a long overdue treat.

I rushed home a bit early (maybe rushed is an exaggeration) as I wanted to give Hubby a chance to ride his motorcycle on this wonderful Fall weekend. Yep, I admit it, I had next to no Mommy guilt with being gone (because face it, the kids get to be an age where they aren't as much work as during those infant/toddler years). But, I did have Biker Wife Guilt! Oh my, heavy sigh, look how far I've come in such a short time. But, in all honesty, this weekend, with clear blue skies and temps in the mid 70s, it seemed more like time for outdoor pursuits rather than indoor stuff.

I was home, had the car completely unloaded (which by the way, was a BLAST to drive. But, don't let Hubby know that I had fun driving HIS convertible) before the Things noticed I was home. Gee, they better not try to pull any such mommy guilt trip on me: I see evidence throughout the house that they had their every wish fulfilled in terms of trips to the video store and dining on fast food! And, they didn't even seem to notice my return.

But, well, Hubby, if/when he reads this, he'll know that he might just have a chance at playing the guilt card if I run away during Bike Season!

Happiness

This week's blog challenge

Happiness comes from the capacity tofeel deeply,to enjoy simply,to think freely,to risk life,to be needed."-Storm JamesonYour assignment is simple. Take all or part of this quote, and let it inspire you. Write about where you find happiness. What is your strongest capacity? Your weakest? Write about people you know who excel at each of the points mentioned in the quote. Tell about someone you know whose inability to live out any one of the points has kept them from happiness.

All in all, I'm a pretty darn happy person. My blog probably gives the perception that I"m happier than I really am because well, I just don't feel like this is the right forum for me to share my frustrations in life. Oh sure, a bit here and there, but for the most part, I try to keep my entries on the lighter, happier side.

I think what makes me such a happy person is the balance I try to create in my life. As much as I love my roles as Mom and Wife, I still find a great deal of happiness being me, Martha. Yes, it is good to be needed, but also to know that if I'm not around they can still get through the day, or the weekend (as will be the case this next weekend).

If I give too much of myself to my family, without taking time for myself, then I become unbalanced and the happy state starts to fade away. Taking time for the things that I like, such as my crafting, my reading and my girls night out helps me maintain my sense of balance and keepy me happy.

I've struggled with the concept of balance in my professional life as well. Before Thing Two arrived, I enjoyed my work as a nurse practitioner. But, once he came on the scene, Hubby and I realized it was more important that we concentrate on the family rather than the added income to be gained by having me continue working part time. Now that they are older, I'm looking again at my professional side and trying to find balance. Yet, some of the options I've contemplated, and even tried out, haven't given me the balance that I need to stay in my preferred state of happiness. These days I seem to have found balance in my work as a TA at the school. Sure, it is about only 1/4 of what I could be earning if I were working in nursing. But, it still fuels the professional side of my self while offering me flexibility that nursing just isn't capable of providing.

When I feel a bout of the blues, or the blahs coming on, the first thing I try to do is look at my life and see what seems out of balance. And yes, there has been a time in my life when lifestyle changes weren't enough and I had to take a "happy" pill to help restore the balance. These days, I'm pretty much able to reflect on myself and see what needs to be adjusted.

The real challenge is in having the courage to make those adjustments. But, hey, I'm getting better now that I"m past 40.

For the Never Say Never File

She joined our family not quite 5 years ago. Initially, I wasn't allowed near her. And although Hubby's attitude has softened over time, I remained very hesitant to get too close. Nope, No, Never, Not gonna happen was my response. She was just too important to Hubby to risk any damage that occured while I was in close proximity to her.

But, desperate times call for desperate measures. So, today, for the first time ever, I drove Liesl.

Yeah you'd think I would have learned using the word NEVER and not really meaning it. But, the last time I distinctly remember changing courses was when I (pre-kid of course) took the very firm stance that my children (if and when I ever had any) would NEVER sleep in bed with me. HAHA...I should have learned...But there you have it. I didn't and thus now have another tale for that never say never file.

And in case you are wondering what desperation lead to this change in heart on my part, well of course it is scrapbook related. I need (ok, maybe not need, but really want) to get to the CO-SS retreat next weekend and yet I didn't want to take the family vehicle and leave the guys truly home alone with no means of transporting both Things.

Of course, it does mean I'm really having to plan and pack accordingly because guess what: two man cars don't have much storage in them! But, by golly, I"ll make it happen!

Son of a Scrapper indeed!

As I'm putting away pictures that I just picked up from Sam's Club, Thing Two tells me "Good Job Mom! You aren't so far behind now. These are from when I was 6!"

Oh sure, you just go ahead and believe that...Just because I've gotten them printed doesn't mean they are next in the queue to be scrapped. But, hey a boy's gotta believe in something!

Nurse Nitwit: I Quit!

For three school years now, I've been volunteering in the nurse's office. The cliff notes version of it all is that she needed some help and my help wasn't needed in the classroom, so I started to help her out. I had a motive at first: having not worked in nursing since the birth of Thing 2, I thought working there would give me a taste of whether this was something I wanted to pursue as a part time job.

About 1.5 years ago, I realized nope, no, uh huh, I didn't want to be a school nurse. My tongue is too sharp, my patience runs too thin and I just wouldn't want to work that much with "the system".

But, I continued to coordinate the vision and hearing days. In my mind, I figured I was "helping the kids". But recently I realized my logic was warped. I wasn't helping the kids, I was doing a part of her job and somewhere along the line her job then became my job and my worries.

The straw that broke this camel's back? I"m sitting in the hair salon, having Jane (really, that's her real name!)work her magic (hah, you think this hair is natural? No, craft crap and hair coloring are my two guilty pleasures in life). My cell phone rings. It is Nurse Nitwit.

I panic! Uh oh, I"ve got a puker and yet I'm sitting in the chair only half colored.
Ah, but no, the kids are fine. She's calling to tell me she left a message on my machine at home.

Heavy sigh. I get home. Listen to the message. Every question she asked is spelled out on the memo I typed up for her last week because I thought maybe her nitwit nature comes from her being a visual learner and I"d write it out appealing to that strength.

So, after I finished cursing out the answering machine, I picked up my remaining few vision cards and took them over to her office.

And...I quit!

Between this and the season premier of Grey's Anatomy, man, I"m feeling pretty darn good right now! That, and as usual Jane did a MARVELOUS job on my color...toning down the blond for a more suitable Fall shade of light brown.

Acrostic Challenge

This week's blog challenge:

• Last week, my friend Diana (in California) said the nicest thing, and she said it in a creative way. She posted an acrostic about me on ScrapShare!Stacy is
  SuperTalentedAwesomeCaring and Youthful.
  See? Wasn't that nice of her?Now. Your turn. Write an acrostic about yourself. Or have someone ELSE write it, and then comment on it. Go on. Don't be shy. Brag about yourself. It's good for the soul.

Last night when I first spotted the new challenge I did a heavy sigh. Oh no, this isn't gonna be easy. But then this morning I woke up and realized it had already been done. Last year my sister put together the most adorable birthday card/mini scrapbook for a rather major milestone birthday. And one page was, GASP, an acrostic. So, I can quickly complete this challenge without feeling all weird about having to come up with words on my own. So here's what Big Sis says about Little Sis

• Mischievous
• Adorable
• Reliable
• Thoughtful
• Honest
• Adenturous

Now, I wonder had she written such a poem when I was 10 and she was 12, would she have been so kind?
Thanks Laura for those kind words (and for doing my homework this week!)

My favorite sign of Fall

I like my seasons to change. No doubt about it, my favorite time of change is from Summer to Fall. When I talk to people, I find I'm not alone.

Lots of us love Fall for our own various reasons. Some people I know like the happiness they feel when they see the leaves turn colors. Yeah, well, they do have a point, but here in the Front Range, we don't get the vivid displays like they do in other parts of the country. So, nope that's not my favorite aspect of Fall.

Others like the way the weather changes. How each day provides you with a little bit of a surprise with how cool the morning will be and how warm the day will end up being.

Still there are those that talk about the scents of Fall: the crisp smell of the air, the aroma of Apple Pie baking in the oven. And there is nothing wrong with the way Fall smells. Well, unless you live near a dairy farm or the oil refinery.

But for me, well let me just show you what my favorite sign of Fall is:



Yep, we've kicked off the season of snacking. You start with that first bag of FRESH candy corn (I don't care for the stuff that sits out all year long and gets a tad stale). Next thing you know, you're looking at the mini candy bars. Somehow eating 5 minis doesn't seem as bad as eating one full size bar (Math is so not my strongest academic skill. Oh wait, I'm starting to look pretty darn stupid: I stink at grammar and I don't like math? Kids, consider yourself blessed to be average with me as your momma!).

And well...The sweet treats just keep on flowing through the stores and into my house...Until before you know it, we're hiding chocolate eggs (assuming I've not eaten them all before getting around to the actual hiding).

Yep, Let the Season of Eating begin!
Happy Fall Ya'll...

Them Danged Old Hills!

Lonestar has a song out there with some pretty powerful lyrics. My favorite this week has to be Walkin's easier when the road is flat Them danged ol' hillls'll get you every time

And much as I want my flat road , the song goes on to remind us that God gave us mountains so we might learn how to climb. So, while I'm dealing with those hills, Thing One is scaling the top of the mountains. Two scenes in the past 24 hours brought to light why I work so hard to be an advocate for him.

• Last night, homework time. I tell Thing One "time for homework" and he comes and gets his packet and runs upstairs telling me as he races up to his room "I'm going to do it in my room, ok?" Ok I say with my jaw still on the ground. This is the boy who protests loudly and frequently about homework. Next thing I know he's running downstairs "I need my math book". Ok, but you don't have math homework. "I know" he tells me, but the guys are doing math while I do spelling". What guys? I sneak a peek upstairs and he's taken his laundry basket, turned it upside down and is using it as his podium. And all his "guys" are really his collection of moose, facing him with the math work book in front of them. And he is deligently working on his spelling homework. He tells me "they are doing silent math work while I do my spelling".

I try to keep the mommy tears from flowing. To see how far this little boy has come: where he is enjoying the process of learning, eager to work on his homework by himself and to be involved in creative productive play is just more than I could take this week. THIS is why I get frustrated when other people see just his difficult quirks. If we dedicate our energies to him, there is no reason to expect anything less than a normal, typical future!

And if that wasn't enough of a sign from above, we're walking in to school this morning. I"m watching, trying to stay clear of the people I have recently called to task to do right by my son. When I hear this little voice call out Thing One's real name. "Hey wait for me" his classmate hollers. And we pause and Thing One smiles and says "Hi Johnny. How are you today? Want to walk to the back with me?". Sure says his pal and within minutes they are chatting away about Pokemon (the character that drives us mommies nuts but bridges all sorts of social gaps!).

More mommy tears are starting to form as I see not only has he figured out creative play, but what a huge leap in social interaction with a peer.

So, for all you mommy bears wondering where you will find the energy to climb that next hill when you are so damn tired of always being the one advocating for your child. THIS IS why we do what we do:

The photo is from my collection. I wish I'd had my camera today but instead, I figure any picture showing the boys being boys, happy, well adjusted boys, gets the point across.

A what kind of girl?

Thing Two got an invite to what looks to be a very cool Pirate Themed party (yeah, that Colleen must have TOO much time on her hands I tell ya!). On the way home, I asked what he thought the birthday GIRL might like for her birthday and he started out in classic Thing Two fashion

Well Mom, since she is a Thomson boy, maybe something not too frilly, ok?

Yes, indeed God did bless me with this boy to put a smile on my face when I need it most! (He meant to say Tom Boy, but like with other things, he gets them twisted around in his mind)

That day in September...

Last year, the Things and I were visiting my aunt. As I was helping clean up the kitchen, she put on a CD. The music was simply perfect. And before I knew it, I was wiping away the tears.

http://craigfraedrichmusic.com/Recordings/Come%20Sunday/11%20Track%2011.mp3

So please, take a moment today to remember that day in September...

PS: ok, so we're a little biased, that's my cousin (her son) on the trumpet. He's good, isn't he?

Counting Down

This week's Blog Challenge: Counting Down

10 Things I wanna do before I die

1. Walk along the Great Wall of China
2. Sail the Fjords of Norway
3. Drink a pint in an Irish Pub (a real Irish pub, in Ireland)
4. Cruise the Alaskan Coastline (preferably on a nice ship with a great view)
5. Return to Italy and this time despite the touristy nature of it, take that Gondola ride in Venice
6. Watch the sun set along the beaches of Hawaii
7. Do the kangaroo Hop in the Land Down Under
8. Send the Things to College
9. Dance at my boys weddings
10. Rock my grandchildren to sleep

9 Places I last spent money

1. Safeway: went in for just eggs, came out having spent $30, gee, eggs sure are expensive!
2. Costco: Why? Why? Why? I'm still asking myself what the H*#$$ was I thinking going there on a Saturday????
3. Lakeshore Learning: the inner teacher in me just can't help herself
4. Michaels: couldn't let a coupon go to waste
5. JoAnns: they have coupons too!
6. Donahue Paper: getting ready for the SS retreat
7. Fay Motorcycles: see I do errands for hubby when he asks nicely!
8. Post Office: needed stamps
9. Burger King: Thing One gets "special lunch" when he's had a good week

8 Sounds I routinely hear around my house

1. The Buzz of the washer or the dryer (they work together most days, assuming I remember to move on into the other)
2. The laughter of my boys
3. The Squabble of the boys
4. The background noise of the TV
5. The timer ringing telling the Things they are done with time out, back to their laughter
6. The rumble of Hubby's "girlfriend", Gretl the motorcycle
7. The tap tap tapping of me on the computer keyboard
8. The phone ringing and me trying to figure out how to turn it on to answer it (you'd think I'd have that new phone figured out by now, it is at least 6 months old)

7 Real restaurants where I last ate out (apparently fast food doesn't count? Man, this is gonna be tough one. I had to stretch way back to May to find enough answers since I can't count BK/McD/Sonic/Wendy's)

1. Chipotles
2. The Rock
3. Flemings
4. TGI Fridays
5. P.F Changs
6. Einstein's Bagels
7. Atlanta Bread Company

6 Things I've recently scratched off my to do list (whew, an easy one since I posted a big list last weekend)

1. Go to the Bank
2. Go to the post office
3. Pay Bills
4. Finish SS retreat goodie bag items
5. Sweep kitchen floor
6. Clean bathrooms

5 People I don't know but I"d really like to hang out with

1. Rachel Ray
2. Paula Dean (ah, you see the trend, don't you?)
3. (and 4 and 5.)Some of my online SS pals: Suite Sioux (because well, I like the way she thinks) and Heidi/aka Agent 713 (since we wouldn't have to argue over what kind of music to listen to) and Diana in KS (because she promised to have the pot of coffee on!And if I'm having a rough day, I'm guessing she'd join me in the mommy juice!)

Four Songs that Make me Happy (man, I'm even more musically impaired then I am grammatically challenged. But at least I know what songs make me happy)

1. Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville
2. Kenny Loggins Return to Pooh Corner (ok, this one makes me happy and sad all at the same time)
3. Lynden David Hall All you need is love
4. Rodney Atkins If you're going through hell (ok, so they play this one on the radio so much I can't get it out of my brain, but I still like the kicky little beat it has)

3 Things I hate to do

1. Go to the doctor for those girlie check ups
2. Mop the kitchen floor
3. Confront others even when I know I got to..

2 Things I am really good at

1. Making people feel welcome
2. Loving my family

1 Bad habit

1. Gossiping

Random notes to self..

1. There is little therapeutic value in attempting "retail therapy" on a Saturday. Crowds everywhere.
2. I live a sheltered life when it comes to traffic and that's just fine by me. On 3 separate occasions this week I realized how lucky I am that everywhere I need to go, want to go and for the most part have to go, is within an easy 5 mile radius of my house with next to no traffic headaches. On those three adventures (four if you count today) I became immediately aware that Front Range interstate traffic sucks! I'll take my sheltered little corner of the world, thank you very much.
3. I'm grateful that hubby is an excellent provider. Well, he's got some other decent qualities too, but since I got my pay stub this week, it hit home what an amazing provider he is for the Things and I!

Explain to me why

the supposed "shorter" school/work weeks seem to last longer than a regular week?

TGIF!!! It was indeed a very long week here at the House of Chang
I sense a need for some retail therapy in my immediate future...

Saving the best for home...

As moms, we know that our kids often behave differently when they are in school or at friends homes compared to how they act at home. Today I was working (remind me again why I felt the need to get a part time job?). Anyways, a couple of the boys have discovered the symphony of noise their bodies can make. Yes, we had the ever popular arm fart, and even the knee fart. Yep, I was having to use my "mommy voice" as I attempted to redirect their energy.

Thankfully there was one of the boys who refused to partake in the goofiness of his peers. Instead he calmly told me "I'm saving my farts for home!"

Bless his little heart...if only the other 3 had been that kind...

Angels among us..

This week's blog challenge

• I had a totally different challenge planned for this week, but something happened to me this afternoon that I just had to blog about. And so... I'm changing the challenge to reflect it. Write about an event in your life that you were directly impacted by, whether you were on the receiving end, or on the giving end. Tell us about an act of selflessness, an act of bravery, an act of servitude...Tell us about the woman who comforted your lost child at Walmart until you could be reunited. Tell us about the man who picked up your dinner tab and didn't stick around to be thanked. Tell about the time you scared a bunch of bullies away from a trembling puppy, or the kids you saw hanging out at the bus stop way after the school bell rang, and how you kept an eye on them until the bus finally arrived. Dig deep into your memory bank and recall the little miracles that have happened in your life at the hands of total strangers. Remember the little miracles you've been a part of, simply because you listened to your inner voice.We've all been touched. Share YOUR story.

I've mentioned time and time again, what a blessing I consider my many friends to be. But, there is one friend in particular that truly was that Angel among us.

Allison: if you are reading this, yep, this time it really is ALL ABOUT YOU!!!

When I was very pregnant with Thing Two, we learned that Thing One had significant "developmental delays". A 2 yr old with the skills and development of a 9 month old baby. The "A" word was hinted at if not spoken directly. I'm a pretty practical person, so I did what any person of my nature does with such news: I jumped right in and started to work with the therapists and my son. I joined a support group. Before I knew it, he was making progress and all seemed to be well with the world.

Now 2.5 years had passed, and that expectant baby was now a happy go lucky toddler. Yet, much of our days were still pretty focused on the programming for older brother. This preschool, that therapist, another trip in the car seat, another interupted nap. He just went with the flow as that's all he'd ever known: time to take brother somewhere for something.

In my heart, I knew this wasn't right but in mind I wasn't sure how to change it.

Until one day when another neighbor asked me to come over to their weekly "play group". I knew these ladies just casusally: as we all served on the neighborhood pool committee. I'd overhear them talking about their group but never gave it much thought. You see, I"m not really a playgroup person. Taking Thing One around "typical" kids was always a sure fire way to send me into a daze of sadness. Although he was making progress, his delays were so much more noticeable when he was around "regular" kids. Nope, we were happiest hanging with our friends who had kids with some sort of issue.

But, I knew it wasn't about me or Thing One this time...Nope, Thing Two needed a chance to be with kids just like him. So, I set aside my worries (what would we talk about, would they like me, would I like them. I so DON"T do the whole play group thing) and went to that first gathering. And had an ok time.
So, I kept going.

This was 4 years ago, and up until last year, pretty much any Wednesday that school was in session, you'd find Thing Two and I hanging with the Gang.

Yet, if it hadn't been for Allison's kind invitation to join them...I'd have never met her and all the other wonderful women that have changed my life. Enriching me as a person. Helping me grow as a parent. Reminding me of the beautiful gift God blesses us with when he sends us our gal pals!

Thank you Allison...may there one day be that kindly neighbor who reaches out and asks you to join in their fun! PS: we miss you bunches and bunches!

I met my challenges!!!!

Yahoo! I don't know how to do those fancy edits where you line out what you wrote...but if I knew how, I'd be able to announce that I met most, if not all of my self imposed challenges for the weekend.

• I finished up Thing Two's Kindie album which, just as I predicted, was a huge relief to say "it is done, move on".
• I did a Clean Sweep/Mission Organization attack on my sticker binder. Yep, I started by dumping out all of my sticker/die cut stash and sorted into trash/donate/keep piles. Then I put back only the items I knew met my current style and projects on hand. Hopefully, having a cleaner storage system will making putting stuff away less of a chore.
• I made it to JoAnns and got my refills. And the scary thing was: that is all that I bought. I walked in, picked them up, paid for them (with coupons, Thanks Carol!) and walked out. Fear not, I still got some retail therapy in (just not at JoAnns) as I joined the Grocery Game this weekend. More on that some other time.
• I managed to finish up the 2004 pages. I was a bit worried about this challenge as it wasn't very specific and I know myself well enough that I need to be specific in my plans or else I lose my ability to stay on task. But, once I made a general list of which pics needed to be scrapped, I did fine. Can I just tell you how much I LOVE having a photo printing machine at home? I was able to print out what I was missing and move on without the lengthy process of ordering online and risking getting side tracked. My time is SO worth the 0.24/a print the machine costs when you balance it against the time involved in getting those 0.10/prints at other places. At least when you've decided to tackle a project last minute like I did!
  
• I counted my pages and although my numbers aren't as high as some (I thought I saw where someone is hoping to scrap 400 pages this year?! OH MY! That is SO not even a thought/desire or wish of mine)...I'm pleased to report that prior to this weekend, I'd scrapped 48 pages thus far for 2006. Add in what I worked on this weekend, and I'm pretty darn close to 60. But more than the numbers, is the huge sense of accomplishment I feel every time I finish a project or group of pictures.
• I didn't finish up the SS goodie bag items but that is really a quick "while watching tv" sort of project so I won't get too upset by not having "done it all"

And...I did this while not totally neglecting my family. I took the boys to the park on Saturday, we went for a bike ride this afternoon (oh my, me on a bike, what a fright, just ask Colleeen...she saw me go pedaling by). The Things had friends over to play and we tossed water balloons and had a water gun battle (Mom lost, what else is new?).

Long weekends are great...and now I know they are even sweeter when you manage to accomplish most of what you wanted on top of having a great time just being with your family!

A Labor Day Challenge

Feel free to join me in my own personal challenge. This weekend I'd like to complete the following craft related projects. I figure if I list them, then maybe I won't put off doing what I really need to, and just as importantly, stuff that I really want to work on. So, here's my list:

1. Finish Up Thing Two's KG year for his school album. I really need to wrap this project up so that I can move on to something new. This will be the last step in letting go of some of my adult disappointments regarding his kg year.
2. Finish up the CO-SS retreat goodie bag items (*thanks Carol for the coupon, a subcategory of this is making a JoAnns run to get my laminating refill).
3. Sort through the stash of stickers and do dads. I've got a good system for putting away my stamp stufff when I'm done stamping and yet know where everything is when I need it for the next project. I really need to examine my SB stash and come up with something that works a little better than my current "stash and dash" approach.
4. Count how many pages I've scrapped this year. I see many folks listing their pages completed and I've never been one to count up the pages but I think it might be interesting to see how much I've done this year. Does my slow and sure approach total up to something close to those large numbers I see on SS? I don't know, I've only counted them when I've gone to a retreat. Never done a yearly total. Not that the year has ended, but I"m in the mood to count today so might as well start the tally now.
5. Work on 2004 family album. Yeah, I know, you all thought because I'm finishing up Thing Two's KG pages, that I must be caught up on other stuff. Oh no, I have scrapbook skeletons in my craft closet just like everyone else. Towards the end of 2004, I lost my muse and when I found it in '05, I decided to switch gears and focus on vacations, Christmas and the boys' school albums. No more chronological scrapbooking. But, I hate having totally unfinished projects so I really would like to wrap up those last remaining pages.

If I can get through these projects over the long weekend, plus tend to some family matters, I'll be a very happy camper. Uh, make that happy crafter! Come on: let's go get CRAFTY~

They really do grow up TOO fast...

Exhibit A: Taken when Thing Two was about four weeks old. Yeah, yeah, bad momma that I was, I sort of forgot about those "first bath" photos until my sister and nephew arrived to help out and she asked "have you taken any pictures yet?" I know that is hard to imagine as these days I'm always the one snapping photos but in those itty bitty baby, sleep deprived days, I too forgot about the photo ops.

Fast Forward, and I really do mean FAST, I present Exhibit B. I came upstairs to discover this: Thing Two decided after school today that he was cold and a warm soak would feel really good (he gets that from me, as I like nothing better than to take a long soak when I'm chilled).
When I suggested he take a traditional bath he said "yeah, but then I can't see the TV" (and THAT he gets from his father)

Update..

Three margaritas later, mood is significantly improved. We now return to our regularly scheduled programming...

Happy Hour...

I've had a long week. I had a rough day. I'm not waiting until Friday for Happy Hour. Come on over, I opened up the bottle of Mommy Juice and am working my way to a state of contentment...soon there will be peace in the valley!

All about Girls...

Overheard this afternoon, as Thing One was watching YuGiOh "I've got dibs on HER. I"m going to marry her!" While I"m relieved that he's finally moved on from insisting that he's going to marry me, and his dad is relieved to know it was a female character on TV that caught his fancy, we realize we still have our work cut out for us in terms of educating him on better dating strategies. Doubtful any girl would be thrilled to hear her man say "hey, I've got dibs on you" as he proposed. And well, yes, there is that little detail about it being a cartoon character and not a real gal.

And shortly after this conversation, Thing Two was explaining to us how a doctor can tell if a woman is going to have a baby boy or a baby girl. Yup, he points to his head and says "if the baby's hair grows long, the doctor knows it is going to be a girl". Ok, I'll take that from my newly minted 7 year old! And, yes, I too am still wondering what in the world prompted him to make this comment and conclusion in the first place.

Ah...The joys of raising boys into men. I'll have my work cut out for me on many levels, eh?

Containing Myself...

This week's SS blogger challenge:

1. Open your purse/wallet/briefcase/diaper bag.
2. Inventory the contents.
3. Pick one item from your inventory list and expand on it. Why do you have it? Where did it come from? What special meaning does it have? Is there a funny/interesting story attached? Choose something that will tell the reader a little about you, whether it's serious, funny or unremarkable ()- or if you're writing for yourself, choose something that will remind an older you of who the younger you was.
4. Add photos if you'd like to.

Go - inventory your contents


Ok, so I'm making my own modification to this challenge and and instead of looking at my purse, I've decided to share with you my bedside table contents. Why? Yes, I do like to be difficult sometimes but for today, that's not why. Nope, my purse is not much of a reflection of who I am. Really, honest. Somehow when I was being made, I missed out on the accessorize gene and so my purse is rather nondescript. Oh, that and right now I"m not sure where I left my purse...

So, instead I decided I would take a look at what's on my bedside table. Now, there isn't enough room next to the bed for your traditional nightstand so instead, I use the top of my dresser to hold my stuff. I give you exhibit A

• First up is a pair of socks. When folding laundry earlier in the week, I realized those don't belong to the Things. So, I've set them aside to return to whichever pal of theirs they belong to. They've only been there since last week's birthday bash. If they look like they belong to your kid, please let me know.
  
• Next is a photo of me as a little girl. I like looking at that photo and remembering that I didn't always have to pay for my blond hair. I'm holding a kitty which I find rather perplexing as I"m not really a kitten person. Was this a cherished childhood item? I don't know but maybe my sister can refresh my memory on that. Then again, maybe it was hers and I insisted on holding it during the photo shoot? Yep, I was THAT kind of bratty kid sister!
  
• Then in the teenny tiny frame is a family portrait. It was the last time we tried to take such a photo. Was it three years ago? Or maybe even 4. Anyways, it was a real disaster and I wasn't pleased with any of the pictures enough to order larger copies. This is just the little proof that I decided to keep. It reminds me that we're just not studio portrait kind of people.
  
• Next is one of my many Longaberger Baskets. This one holds my baubles. But again, because I am lacking that accessorize gene, I often forget to open it and put on such baubles. So, it rarely sees much activity.
• Stuck somewhere in between are a couple other boxes and holders that contain stuff that really should have a more proper home but I never seem to remember to go back and clean things out after a stash and dash session. FlyLady would be so disappointed in me.
• In the front are my assorted reading materials.
  
• There are a couple chick lit novels that my friend gave me for my birthday. Haven't felt like reading lately so there they sit.
• There is a library book there. The review looked great but I was once again fooling myself thinking I could handle reading a non-fiction work. I should take it back as I'm sure there is a waiting list for it. Sensory Processing stuff is all the rage these days.
• I've got a couple magazines in the stack as well. I'm not much of a magazine reader but I like to thumb through them right before I call it a night.
• And finally is my daily journal. I tried earlier this summer to join the Scrapshare group doing the Artists Way. I lasted only a chapter or two before it dawned on me, this too it non fiction and I just can't go there. But, I did discover that there is much to be gained from daily journaling. And so that's where I do my daily journaling. It is VERY different from my blog. I use it to get rid of all my ugly thoughts and worries. If I die a sudden tragic death, first one in the house, please promise me that you will dispose of the journal post haste?
  
• Oh, I almost forgot my glasses are sitting there as well. I'm lost without them but since I wear contacts during the day, I just need the glasses at night and for those days when I'm just too unmotivated to pop in the contacts.
• And I"m sure there is more than a thin layer of dust to make it all complete

So, there you have it, a glimpse into my personal space. But now I really do need to go looking for my purse...not that there is much in it but....

A crafter's worry

I'm convinced that all crafters share one worry: that we will run out of that critical item and chaos will take over. But, we don't know what that critical item will be so we hoard a little bit of this and a lot of that. You know, just in case...

Well, yesterday my worry was realized when I ran out of stuff for my laminating gadget. Sadly, I"m sorry to report that chaos did not take over. I just shrugged my shoulders and said "oh well" and went on to another task.

Oh my, what am I to do now that I know there is no need to hoard stuff? Life still goes on even if you use that last bit of adhesive or that last swatch of favorite card stock. This will certainly take some time to process.

So while I process, I"m going to share with you some memories of two of my most loved hoarders: my mom and my grandmother.

Mom wasn't into paper crafting like I am. (Now some of that is probably due to the fact that paper crafting hadn't reached her crafter's radar back in the mid 1980s) Nope, she was a thread chick. It didn't matter: yarn, fabric, cross stitch, she loved it all. And she stashed it all! Towards the end of her battle with cancer, she did a fair amount of retail therapy even if she didn't have the strength to keep on stitchin'. When she passed away, my dad discovered her stash. A true blessing for any crafter: to have your stash discovered by your spouse AFTER you've passed away. Less confrontation I'm sure! :) But Dad took it all in stride: he gave some of the stash to my sister and I (yes, we're passing down the hoarded stuff. I"ve purged some of the stuff but some I am keeping just for sentimental reasons. How about you, Laura?) and some of the stuff he took back to the store where they issued him a refund (yep, you are right, it WASN"T a Michaels she writes with a sarcastic grin).

And then there was my maternal grandmother, Irene. She was mostly a knitter with some occasional sewing. Whenever you would visit, she'd ask "which one do you like" as she'd shuffle off to her hall closet where she kept her stash of patterns. Oh how I loved that closet: it was probably my first experience in FEELING the thrill that comes with looking through you stash. You see all the crafting projects just sitting there, waiting to be put to use. Bliss, I tell you, pure bliss!

So, maybe it isn't just worry that leads us to hoarding our stuff. I know I get a warm and cozy feeling when I sort through my stashed stuff as I imagine all the awesome things I can create with these treasured items. Not that I actually will, but the fact that I could is very comforting to me.

But first, I gotta get a refill for my xyron...and while I"m there, I bet I buy TWO just in case I run out again...

Just minutes from our house...

Is this! Honest Injun! And to think it took a third grade field trip for me and Thing One to check it out.





I learned a lot and most importantly I was pleasantly pleased to discover that serving as a chaperone for third graders is much easier than second graders. There seems to be this maturing thing going on that made it a very pleasant, yet hot, adventure.



Just the same, I'm reminded that I did not miss my calling in life when I chose nursing over teaching. Teachers must be strong hearted and even tempered and well I'm not that as often as I should be.


And a stop at the 1860s homestead at the end of the day reminded me that yep, I am definitely meant for living in this era. It all just just looked and sounded like way too much work for this air-condition loving, TV watching, mini van driving Momma to have survived. Nope, you won't hear me saying we should go back to the time when things were simpler (although it was pretty cute looking at those kids in the old fashioned school house playing by the rules of the day with their bows and curtsy and hands folded neatly on their desk, addressing us all as Ma'am or Sir!)

Hope they don't cancel my membership

I went to Sams Club yesterday. With just one thing on my list. And, I came out with JUST THAT one item. If this keeps up, I'm afraid I'll have to go see a doctor about this problem.

Fingers crossed they don't cancel my membership...

Where does he get this from?

Both hubby and I are not fancy talkers. Oh sure, I like to talk, but I've always had issues with proper pronunciation (Hubby jokes "are you sure you were educated in this country and that English is your first language?"). If given a choice, I will opt for the word with the fewest syllables, as there is less chance of an error on my part.

So, I'm reading with Thing Two this evening and in the story, the kids are fighting and I pause to ask some of those comprehension type questions (yeah, go ahead and hate me, I think it is that childhood dream to have been a school teacher that I just can't suppress when I'm working with the boys. I take this reading together a bit too serious sometimes).

Instead of saying something simple as one would expect from a rather newbie first grader, he goes on to explain that the " girl character exclamated the problem when she was bossing the other kids and that led to the starting of the fight"

Ok, I get where he comes up with exclamated instead of escalated...that's genetic from his tongue tied momma. But the rest...that's way too insightful to have come from either hubby or I!

Simply Remarkable!

This weeks Blog Challenge asks us to look at what it is that makes the ordinary things about us remarkable. In case you are curious, here is the challenge in its original format:

Read the following quote and think on it:
"My students were middle-class kids who were ashamed of their background. They felt like unless they grew up in poverty, they had nothing to write about...I felt sorry for these kids, that they thought their whole past was absolutely worthless because it was less than remarkable."-David Sedaris, from an interview in January Magazine
Admit it. You've said, "I have nothing to blog about. My life is boring." Haven't you. Haven't you?
Your challenge is to write about it anyway.Write about your less than remarkable life. Write about your routines, your habits, your schedule. Find the unremarkable things about your life and CELEBRATE them.
Go - be remarkable!

In my circle of friends, I'm known for my ability to story tell. If you want to know the latest news, it is a pretty well established fact that you should just ask Martha because surely she's heard "something" on the subject. Now I will admit that there are days when I'm telling less of an actual story and more of just spreading gossip and starting rumors. I've been known to embellish the details just a tad and spinkle in an extra dash of snark if I'm feeling on the grouchy side. But no doubt about it, being able to tell a good tale is one rather simple fact about me that makes me remarkable.

Now, to look at me, yes you do indeed see nothing but average. The house, the husband, the kids, the occasional vacation to see family and friends. But I take great pride in these average accomplishments and enjoy celebrating them in my blog.

I'm fast approaching my one year anniversary of regular blogging. I'm proud of this accomplishment and view it as something remarkable. This is actually my second blog. My first one is hopefully long since deleted as I was approaching it from a different mind set and I didn't like the tone it was taking.

Remarkable things have happened since I've started to blog. I've gotten to know several other SS bloggers a little bit better because I routinely check in on their blogs. They comment on mine, and I try to comment on theirs. Locally, two of my gal pals have started blogs themselves. Their lives are no more interesting than mine but I think they see how through a blog you can take the every day stuff and while weaving a story make it interesting and memorable.

And isn't that what makes us all remarkable? Our ability to recognize that our experiences are unique and worth remembering and celebrating.

His Final Words...

Thing Two, on the eve of his seventh birthday declared "But I'm not tired". Said declaration made right before the tell tale sound a child deep in sleep. Yeah right my child, you are so not tired. You are worn out, exhausted, depleted of even that last little drop of energy. Tired would definetly be an understatement.

But oh what fun he had! He decided long ago that for his birthday, he wanted a Friday Night Beer and Pizza Happy Hour Party. It seemed appropriate given his recent fascination with all things Homer Simpson. And yes, Mom and her gal pals probably had some influence over it being a "happy hour" style affair.

Now in case anyone thinks I am destined to become "the party mom", I'll have you internet people know that the beer I served was of the root variety. I surprised them with the bottled variety and each kid had his own bottle. It was a riot watching them try to drink without the head spilling all over the place. And since there is a late summer cold spreading through the neighborhood, we struggled with ways to label brown bottles that had brown labels. But, hey a colored balloon tied around the neck is a good way to tell yours from your pals. Of course, that still didn't stop them from swapping bottles but hey, they are boys, what do they care, right?


All in all it was a fun afternoon and before the final meltdown that prompted the trip to bed, he declared this was his best birthday ever. Ah, maybe that other Martha is right, simple can indeed be a very good thing!

Ready for the Road...

Heading out to school this morning, Thing Two says "can I drive the car?". "No son, you don't have a license".

Without even pausing to think about his response he quickly replied, "But, I'll just use yours, ok? Then I can drive the car".

Heavy sigh...Sadly the day when he does have his own license will be here way before I"m ready...

Celebrating Early...

Thing Two is celebrating his birthday later in the week. Today a package arrived from MI, courtesy Auntie Laura and family. I KNEW what was in it so I figured he'd enjoy the treat of opening his packages early. Not to mention, the package arrived after he'd gotten home from school and I knew I didn't have the stamina to deal with the pleas of "can I open it now? How about now" for the next 5 days.

Sure enough, he opened his big box and first found two cards. "I must be extra special because I got two cards" (One was actually a gift receipt in an envelope, but I hated to burst his special bubble). Next, he takes off the wrapping paper and sighs a "What The?/HUH?" and commented on the fact that the present was in a shoe box. He said "they sent me shoes?" with a real tone of worry to is voice that perhaps he really was getting shoes (for the record, neither Thing has much interest in footwear). Finally, he opened the box and discovered a CD player, just like his brother had gotten earlier in the summer. A second package had also arrived over the weekend and I decided to let him open that as well. It too met with his approval. Something like a big YAHOO, MY FAVORITE were his exact words. It was the soundtrack from Rugrats in Paris, his FAVORITE movie these days.

When Hubby got home, he asked Thing Two "I wonder how they knew that was your favorite? Do you suppose Auntie Laura is psychic?"

In true Thing Two fashion, he replied "Nope, I think she's a gypsy!"

Thanks Gypsy Laura, ya done good! (and of course, he remains clueless to the reality that there is a spy here in the House of Chang)

Color me confused!

One of the online communities I visit (ok, so maybe visit is too soft of a word, more like I camp out there) started a blogger's challenge. Initially, I thought to myself, I can do this. Yeah right! Just like the various blog quizzes that I love to read but am hopeless at completing myself, this challenge is well...a challenge for me.

If you are playing along at home, here is the initial challenge:

This week, blog or journal about color. Your favorite color. Colors that
make you happy. The color of your favorite flower. Colors that speak to you or
that totally turn you off. The color of YOU. What's your color personality,
according to the thousand websites out there that analyze that sort of thing?
(Google "favorite color" and you'll find them.) Is the analysis accurate?

So, what's the problem you ask. Well, I don't really have one favorite color. I'm more into a color family or spectrum of color. If that were the question, I could answer it in a heart beat: I'm all about the warm rich earth tones. Fall Colors. Tuscan Yellow. Ruby Red. A deep rich Olive Green.

Yep, these colors speak to me. They make me think of being all cozy and warm. I've mentioned before what homebodies we all are here in The House of Chang. My home decor reflects my preference for these warm earthy colors. Gee, do you think there might be a connection between the two?

Now, I've just tried to google what this says about my personality and here's where I get turned around and confused. The reds in the palette say one thing. The blues and greens say another. But, in the end, that would be me. Right there in the middle. I've got a few strengths and character traits of each of the two main groups. And yep, the negative attributes of these colors also plague me from time to time.

As for color in our house, this is the plate that started it all. Several years ago, a dear friend gave this plate to me as a gift. I loved it from the minute I first opened it! Not only do I have this thing about roosters (I suppose I really should blog about my rooster obsession one of these days). But, we've turned to the colors in the plate time and time again when making decorating choices. Hubby spotted the yellow on the plate and immediately announced THAT was the shade he wanted to paint the family room. Which we did, at the other house. Here at the new house, there is no urgent need to paint at least the main floor. Yep, because the previous owners left us window treatments and an accent wall featuring the green in my favorite plate.

Gee, all this talk about color makes me want to go and play with some color in the craft room. Anyone want to guess what colors I'll be playing with this afternoon?

His and Her Weekends

His: riding for hours on "Gretl" as he explores the High Country




Hers: tinkering for hours in her craft room, completing 15 cards for gifts and swaps

And together they lived Happily Every After...

Stampede!

This week, the Things and I are reading a Magic Tree House book. The exact title I don't recall, but it is something like Buffalo before Breakfast. Anyways, I get to the start of Chapter 7 last night and it is called Stampede. I pause and ask the boys "do you know what that word means?"

Hubby who is partially listening to the story quickly chimes in and says "Yeah boys, it is when a herd of buffalo get together to stamp!" He then starts to giggle like a little boy. Hubby is a pretty quiet man by nature (how he survives with me and my not so quiet ways is a question we still both ponder from time to time). But, when he finds something to be funny he really is a laugh out loud kind of guy.

Next thing I know, the boys are adding to the moment. "No, mom, it is when a bunch of buffaloes start to dance" says Thing Two. "Yeah, like this" chimes in Thing One. And now, all three of my guys are humming (or trying to hum) a can-can tune and dancing like a heard of buffaloes.

Well, I'm pretty sure that Letterman and Leno can rest easy tonight knowing that nobody in the House of Chang is apt to steal their job from them...


*interesting enough, the above photo was taken at a new park we found called The Great Plains Park. No buffalo were spotted: none dancing or stamping...

Back to school blues

Thankfully, the Things are doing a pretty good job with heading back to school. And, I'm slowly getting into the groove of the school routine. But today, oh my, I met a little fella who was one unhappy camper. I figure I'm entitled to smile at his misery since most years it is one, if not both of my children crying outside the front of the school.

But, this little boy, hasn't figured out that crying gets you at least sympathy. Nope, this boy was having a full throttle temper tantrum. Don't want to go, not going to make me go. The principal was able to help him work through it and he finally made it back to his class. That's where I met him: I was doing vision checks on his class. He'd calmed down considerably so his teacher suggested I try to screen him as well. All went well with the testing.

And then in my happy mommy voice I said how much fun school can be, how he will make LOTS of friends. With the cynical tone of a grumpy old man he curtly told me "I already have plenty of friends~!"

Somehow I have a feeling that this is not the end of this little boy's back to school blues...

Ah, we made it through the week!

What a hectic week it has been.

Ok, so hectic is probably an exaggeration. But, after the weeks of sheer lazy days, with nothing on the calendar and taking all day to do just as little as possible, the return to school has been a bit busier than any of us are used to.

And it remains hot.

And, I worked this week.

And just as I was starting to whine about being tired from these realities, Friday arrived way too soon for my liking and we had our school's vision/hearing testing today. I head up our school's assessments each year. Ok, so I didn't test them all, but I did coordinate all elements of the process of screening over 300 students. And sadly, that's only half the school. We'll do it all again in September. The things I get myself into...

I'm one worn out Momma that is for sure.

But, that's the bad news around here. The good news is that both Things had a great first week of school. I had good first impressions of the teachers and class mix. As for the vision testing, I had my midlife epiphany this summer (where you go I"m getting too old to play the games and get worked up about the stuff that just doesn't matter) and managed to set some clear boundaries and distance with the school nurse. I kept my sanity and held my tongue through the countless messages she left me, telling me the same things over and over.

So in the end, I'm energized by the thought of a new school year. We may be off to a busy start and our bodies are still adjusting but I'm excited about the newness of it all. Or maybe it isn't excitement and instead, perhaps that margarita finally kicked in...all I know is it is past 5 o'clock here and we made it to the weekend...Lets celebrate!

The Long way round...

As some of you know, Hubby is knee deep into his midlife crisis v2.0 and as a result of this, he's fascinated by anything having to do with motorcycles. Last week, we watched "The World's Fastest Indian". Well, this week he learned about a journey taken by Ewan McGregor and his pal Charlie. Together they rode motorcycles from London to New York, and as the title suggests, they took the long way round. They headed East, traveling through Europe, into Mongolia, up through Siberia before crossing the Bearing Straits and ending up in Alaska. Their journey was filmed and it was shown on Bravo a few years ago. Thankfully the DVD of this show was available from the library and yesterday we sat down to watch it.

I personally have no desire to take such a trip. I admit, I haven't even watched Hubby ride his bike out of the neighborhood. This whole motorcycle concept is something I'm finding myself still getting used to. And, I've already shown you how I "camp" a la condo style. Roughing it for me, means you don't have charmin in the bathroom, instead you are stuck with some no name brand of toilet tissue. So, obviously I wasn't drawn to the "Oh, I so want to do that some day" part of the film.

But these guys made it interesting! You really don't realize how large the world is until you watch a film such as this. I found the travels through Mongolia truly fascinating. The landscape, the people, the lack of "stuff" that we all take for granted. And who knew that roads, even hard packed dirt roads are considered a rare find in some parts of the world? Well, it just was fascinating.

But alas, it is a long movie and last night...I called it a night once they got to Alaska. The scenery in Alaska was enough for me to note that is one place I definetly want to visit before I die. Someday for sure. But it won't be on a motorcycle. Nah, I'm thinking a cruise ship is more my style. And as for Mongolia and Siberia, I'm thinking I will just get my fixes from the big screen...as fascinating as it was, I didn't see any Hiltons or even a Days Inn where I could rest after a hard day of sight seeing.

So, please check out The Long Way Round if you are in the mood for something different to watch as we wait patiently for the heat of summer to fade away and the new tv season starts back up. They guys also wrote a book about their experience which Hubby is reading. I tell you...the man has the motorcycle obsession BAD...

Summoned...

And released, excused or whatever you want to call it! Yahoo! I'm not sure what I put on my questionnaire that they didn't like, but thankfully the service of Juror #43 is not required to report next week.

I wasn't all that thrilled to go in the first place. There never is a convenient time to sit on a jury. I freely admit that I'm opinionated and quick to make a judgment call. Not sure I can be fair and open minded. I sort of feel like even if you didn't do exactly what you are accused of, if you made it THIS far up the legal chain, you've got to be guilty of something.

But, I went. I didn't try to get myself out of serving. I filled out the survey honestly. Well, not totally honest. On the question that asked about being fair and impartial, as tempted as I was to say "my motto is it is a privilege to serve, and an honor to convict", I just left that question blank.

Once I finished my survey, the lady in charge tells us that they had called a large pool (over 120 jurors were summoned for this one case) as they are preparing to seat a jury for a "lengthy and sensitive case".

Yep, thanks for the belated birthday gift Arapahoe County! Nothing about lengthy or sensitive sounded the least bit interesting to me! Of course, given my nature, I'm most curious to find out what high profile case is starting on Tuesday. But, I'll be happy to find out via the local sources and NOT from the seat in the jury box!

My Silver Anniversary...

Yep folks, today is the 25th anniversary of my Sweet 16th Birthday
Or, if you prefer, I'm noting that 20 years ago today, legally I was allowed to drink (I'm thinking that I probably had a sip or two before then but I officially admit to NOTHING!).
And, finally if your caffeine of choice hasn't kicked in yet, I'll give it to you plain and simple: I am 41 today.

And just how do I feel about this? I feel great!

Turning 40 is often considered a big deal. Some folks really struggle with the reality that they are now in the middle age category. They fret about unrealized potential. They mourn the passing of their prime child bearing years. All sorts of emotional stuff can come up around this milestone birthday.

But, for me, not really. This past year I've thought and pondered how I feel about being in my 40s and I keep coming back to a few simple truths...

• I've found myself a great colorist who manages my premature graying with expertise. Yes, hair has become my one consistent beauty splurge. If my hair looks good, I feel great.
• I've surrounded myself with the most awesome posse of gal pals one could ever dream of being blessed with. Some of these pals live around the corner, and some live across the country. Some are family. Some are like family. Yet no matter where they live, I know they are always there for me.
• I've got a great husband. Ok, I admit there are the those days when his greatest talent is annoying me or frustrating me to no end. But, most days, he's just plain great.
• My Things complete the picture for me. Again, there are THOSE days when I just sigh but more often than not I realize what a very lucky mom I am: to be given the privilege of raising these two amazing boys, quirks and all.

So you see, I am where I want to be...doing the things I was meant to be doing. And with that being the case, I am content with all the blessings in my life and really don't mind what age I am.

Life is good, very very good...

So for those of you still unsure about getting another year older, I offer you this

Jump on in, the water's fine!

In just one week...

The Things will be back to school. Hard to imagine that their summer break is coming to a rather rapid end. I'm thinking that the anxiety level here in the House of Chang is sure to rise over the next 7 days. Both boys have been reassigned to a new track, which is why we've enjoyed an extra 3 weeks off this summer. For Thing Two, he'll do fine as he knows so many of the kids in the neighborhood, that he's certain to know a kid or two in his class. But, for Thing One, change rarely comes without some level of anxiety so I'm just not sure how he'll do. He's had such a great time off but then again, the demands on him have been almost nonexistent. Sure he's had to deal with the daily demands of being a member of the family: help around the house, go to bed on time, do your reading but these are all things he does pretty much without getting anxious. We've not taken a lot of adventures where he's had to cope with sensory overload. Time will tell how he copes with the changes.

And, well I too am a bit anxious. I had my fair share of worries last year and although I've set my mind that this is a new year, fresh start, I am also really struggling with some worries. I need to just keep them under control and keep an open mind. My children deserve that much from me. If I expect it of them, then they need to be able to count on it from me.

So for the next week, we will set out to savor all the fun of summer vacation. We've got a couple pool dates planned and perhaps a lunch out later in the week. And, well, I really need to work on getting us up and moving in the morning. We've got the getting up down, it is the moving part that gets so hard. Wish us luck...

Try Something Different

Thing Two tells us yesterday (as he was still working on perfecting his comic's timing)

• You wanna try something different? Try putting jello in your pants. That's different...

Oh my...I should not have let him rent Muppets take Manhattan. He's been quoting that joke since he heard it yesterday afternoon. Heavy sigh...I'm off to hide the jello...

Daniel Isn't Talking

By Marti Leimbach, Daniel Isn't Talking is the story about Daniel who is 3 and isn't talking. As the story unfolds, the family learns that Daniel has autism and the rest of the story looks at how the family copes and adjusts with this new reality. It is a work of fiction yet the author's own son has autism so there were plenty of elements of fact incorporated into the story. At times you might be inclined to think this is a memoir instead of a fictionalized story.

In the first 50 pages or so, I was mesmerized! I knew the premise of the book, so I knew what was coming in terms of his yet undiagnosed condition. As I read the book, I was transported back in time to our own journey with Thing One. And I cried as I relived some very sad memories of my own. A mother does indeed know long before the experts confirm that her child isn't developing normally. You do feel isolated and alone and you definetly must go through a grieving process for the loss of the child you imagined you'd be raising compared to the one that you are blessed with. The author does a marvelous job of capturing the flurry of emotions that surround the parents when they first embark on this trip into Autismland.

But, by about half way through the story, I'd had enough. This isn't to say that I didn't like the story. I did. I just find that if I spend too much time in Autismland (be it through books, support groups or blogs), I tend to get a bad case of the blahs. I'm not all that functional to myself or my family when I've got the blahs. So, I quickly finished the story and am ready to move on to some story that doesn't hit quite so close to home.

You might enjoy the story. The author gives real thought towards creating her main characters. I found some of the progress that Daniel made a bit unrealistic. I also found it hard to believe that in such a short time frame, she'd managed to get in to see a whole slew of specialists. I realize that the author had to make these things happen rather quickly in order for her subplots to work. Again, just a reminder that it is a work of fiction, not a true life story.

But as for me, I think I'll stay away from such stories in the future: I like to be entertained, amused, escape and yes, occasionally, educated and enlightened. But, at least for me, this book just took me on a trip down memory lane. Granted, my journey was not exactly like Melanie's (for which I am very grateful for being blessed with a supportive husband and compassionate and caring circle of friends). And although I know it is good to remember the past, it is more important for me to look to the future and realize how far Thing One has come and how there is no reason to believe that he won't continue to make extraordinary progress with his condition.

So, can anyone point me in the direction of something FUN to read? I need a good laugh...crazy, goofy chick lit is what I want to read next. Suggestions please!

Sky High

The Things just finished watching the movie Sky High for the second time in 24 hrs. Do you think they like it? Ah gee, I don't know. They are now busy being super heroes, trying to decide who gets which powers and which one of their stuffed animals will be their side kicks.

So, being the silly mom that I like to be sometimes (especially lately during these lazy days of summer) I said "you know boys, I was in the Hero crowd when I was in school".

You'd have to know the story line of this movie, plus me to realize I was telling a tale, a really tall tale when I tried to claim I was cool once. Only in my dreams did I hang with the cool kids in school.

The funny part is that Thing Two got it...sort of...when he said "No you weren't Mom, you went to COWBOY COLLEGE!"

Yep, I fear that graduating from U.Wyo. ranks lower than being a sidekick at Sky High at least in the eyes of a hero-worshiping not quite 7 year old.

The World's Fastest Indian

Hubby is one of the pickier people I know when it comes to movies that he's interested in seeing. I can't remember the last time we went to see a movie together as a couple. Oh sure, he'll take the Things to see their movies (he loved Cars almost more than the Things). But, when it comes to adult flicks, he's got a pretty narrow focus of what interests him and which movies he wants to spend his money on seeing.

Thankfully, he's not so picky when it comes to video rentals. I guess he figures if he doesn't like the video, he can either turn it off or leave the room.

But this particular movie he actually asked me to rent. Oh sure, he'll tolerate watching what I pick out but rarely does he put in any requests. But, since the onset of his midlife crisis v2.0, he's been very into anything motorcycle related.

So last night, we watched this movie. To show you how dull I can be, when I first heard the title I thought, Anthony Hopkins is going to play an Indian? Couldn't they find some REAL Indian to play the role. DUH: Indian is referring to the motorcycle that he rides when he sets his records for speed.

The movie did indeed live up to the hype. As a smaller scale, independent movie, it didn't have all the glitz and glamour that bigger budget films seem to have. It just told a nice story about a quirky old man with a dream. Along the way, he meets some colorful but encouraging folks.

So, if you too have a picky spouse, try renting this movie. It has enough of a story to appeal to us chicks and there are gadgets, gizmos and gasoline to appeal to the guy in your life.

What to do when Comcast goes down?

Yesterday morning I was doing my usual morning computer surfing and THINKING I really should scrapbook. When all of sudden, there was a ZAP followed by a flicker of lights. It was as if we'd experienced some sort of power surge. All the gadgets came back up (gotta love those fancy surge protectors) EXCEPT for our internet access! I tried rebooting the cable modem but had no luck. I figured the problem was more than likely on THEIR end so I went back to what I was doing.

Except, all of a sudden I realized my procrastinating pal, the computer, had bailed on me! And, I found myself saying "might as well work on this layout". So, I slowly puttered around and before I knew it, I created a page that is perhaps one of my current favorites.

It will go in Thing One's School album and reflects all the "track off" travel we enjoyed during school year 04-05. With the completion of this layout, I can proudly announce that I've finished his second grade year. Yeah right! Before you assume that means his album is caught up, keep in mind he did second grade TWICE and thus I still need to think of how I want to work in Second Grade, Take Two.

So, now that the computer is back online (hubby being the network guy that he is, was able to figure out the proper sequence of rebooting and we were back online before dinner. Gotta love that his addiction to high speed surfing is, as bad if not, worse than mine!), I can share with you the pages I've worked on since the company left on Sunday.

It feels good to be scrapbooking again. Maybe I'm not cranking out the layouts like I used to. Instead, I find that I like to think through the layout, focusing on the story I want to share and remember through a scrapbook page. Granted such a method doesn't win me any contests in page challenges, nor does it help me with my desire to get caught up. But, it does bring me back to the reason for scrapbooking in the first place. I enjoy retelling the stories and hope that when the boys grow up, they too will enjoy looking at the pages that mom made just for them.

Run like the...

For as long as my failing memory can recall, Thing One always had some sort of "catch phrase" that he says repeatedly. In autism-land they refer to it as story speak or verbal stimming. Whatever you call it, is can be quirky, cute or down right annoying: depending on the phrase, the timing and how often he uses it.

We've survived "chicken nugget", "peanut brittle", even made it through "tartar sauce" and "pickles". (yes, I too am seeing a food trend).

But the latest ones are trying my patience. Lately it has been "I believe I can fly". And this past weekend, he's been telling me "Run Like the New York Yankees".

The New York Yankees? Where in the world did he come up with that one I wonder? Who knows...but for now, I'm hoping he quickly finds a new phrase as hubby is neither a sports nut or a fan of the great state of NY. :)

Can you feel the heat?

Yowza...yesterday was hot and today is supposed to be as hot, if not hotter. I know: it is a dry heat. No humidty. Blah Blah Blah. But you know, once you get to 102 degrees it is H*O*T, with or without the dry factor.

And yes, we have central air but again, it can only accomplish so much when the bright sun is beating down on the back of the house.

We tried to go to the pool yesterday but many other neighbors had the same idea and the boys decided after just about an hour that it was "too hot" to swim. We spent the rest of the day down here in the basement. And really, it is a great spot to hang out as we've got just about all the gadgets and toys you'd want down here.

So, once Thing Two and I get back from his end of season picnic, I'm looking forward to a long snooze on the couch. And after the nap, I might even be inspired to craft a bit. I've been a busy card maker these days. I'm just about ready to switch gears and work on some scrapbook stuff.




Here's a little sample of my attempts to combine card making with my love of scrapbooking. I"m mighty proud of myself for finally realizing I can put the two together and come up with a very personalized way to tell someone Thanks...

The Secret ingredient

The Things love to snuggle and cuddle with me on the couch. It always makes me happy when they call out "Mom, can you come sit with us on the couch". Now of course, that pleasant happy feeling lasts all of 3 nanoseconds as they bicker between themselves, trying to decide who gets to snuggle up right next to mom. But, it usually all works out and everyone finds a comfie spot.

Yesterday, I was watching Oprah (sidenote: she's been running reruns of her Debt Diet and I'm just fascinated by what a financial pickle so many families find themselves in and yet they seem oblivious to the emotional and psychological component that plays a large role in the cycle of overspending).

Thing Two sneaks up behind me and gives me a little peck on the cheek.
I reply in my nice mommy voice (trust me, I have one that isn't so nice): "That was such a nice kiss. What's your secret?"

Ever so wise, at almost 7, he says "Mom, it isn't a secret. I just ate a Dove Bar and there was chocolate on my lips. That is what makes it such a good kiss".

Ah Man...I'm so in trouble once he discovers there are other girls out there besides his momma...

Password please...

Thing One was standing in the doorway when we came back from the bank. Blocking our way. He said to Thing Two: "Password please". And Thing Two replies rather quickly "Move it or lose it!"

I couldn't help but giggle and guessing from Thing One's response, he found it funny to, as he stepped aside and let the little bully pass on through.

Lost and FOUND...

I'd recently misplaced something. It was a rather trivial item. So minor, that I won't even tell you what it was because it is embarrassing to think how much time I spent searching for it.

But, while I looked high and low, under, over, inside and behind...I managed to clean up a few often forgotten areas of the house. So, not only was this a valuable lesson for me to slow down, be more careful of where I leave my stuff, it was also a productive time spent trying to track this silly item down.

Imagine my surprise and joy when I found this silly little item in the lost and found section of our local library! I'm thinking that in my pre-vacation hurry, it got mixed in with my stack of returned library books. And some kind soul was nice enough to put it in the lost and found bin.

And the biggest surprise was that all the contents inside were still there!

Ok, I"ll fess up...it was my coupon organizer. Before you go and do the "she lost her WHAT and spent how much time looking for it?". I should admit to my other blunder associated with this lost item. I'd stuck several gift cards (brand new, full value) inside of it so that the next time I went to the store, I'd have them handy and with me. So, it wasn't just a binder I was looking for...but something with a significant amount of "same as cash" stuff. So, now I have a clean house and a greatful heart. Life is good indeed...

The Other Boleyn Girl

Between birthdays, vacation, hanging by the pool and drooling over the new Stampin UP! catalog, it has been a real struggle to carve out time to read. But, since I so enjoy reading, I've worked hard to make it happen. My latest accomplishment has been to finish reading The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory.

Another historical novel, this story focuses on the Boleyn family and their rise to power during King Henry the VIII reign. She focuses in on the two Boleyn girls and their competition for the greatest prize...the attention of the a king.

I found the story rich in detail and the characters were nicely developed. The story itself dragged at times. I'm not sure if that is so much the fault of the author or the fact that her story required it in order to be somewhat accurate to the time she was writing about. It may also have been that I had refreshed my memory with the history of the time by sneaking a peek at a Wikipedia entry for this time in history and knew what the sequence of events was andI was thus antsy for the story to move along a bit faster. Lordy, what did we do before Wikipedia? It is like the cliff notes for all things we should have learned in high school but either forgot or weren't paying attention to.

Regardless, I found the book to be a worthy read if you appreciate historical fiction and enjoy this time in history. It is a long book, and has taken me pretty much the entire three weeks alllotted by the library to finish it.

I found it interesting that politics haven't really changed all that much over time: you scratch my back, and I'll find a spot for you in my administration. Ok, so back then they weren't back scratcing (wink wink) but favors were exchanged back and forth. It doesn't matter which side of the political coin you prefer, there will always be some secret handshaking going on behind closed doors. Some things just never change, eh?

Ah, but I'll get off my soapbox and back to making my wish list for stamp stuff that I simply MUST have. Oh my, I can indeed switch gears quickly can't I?

Days of Childhood

Let me play in the sunshine
Let me sing for joy
Let me grow in the light
Let me splash in the rain
And Remember the days of childhood
Forever,

A reason to get dressed?

The summer dress code here in the House of Chang is pretty casual. On many mornings, I've not gotten dressed until I've had somewhere to go. Both boys find sitting around in nothing but their underwear to be a great treat...so we just let them do that. They feel like they are getting away with something and it doesn't cost me a dime to reward them with that special treat.

Thing Two recently figured out one problem with being in his underwear and nothing else. He was playing with some toy and wanted to put it in his pocket. He announced "Oh, I need pockets, better go find me some clothes" and off he went to get dressed. I had to chuckle as once again he thinks out loud and it just cracks me up when he does.

Thing One, on the other hand, would rather do without pockets than have to get dressed and such was the case on his birthday. He spent most of his day wearing nothing but his white briefs.

That really isn't so unusual as he will often ask "are any girls coming over today?" and if they answer is no, he hollers out "YAHOO, I can stay in my underwear!". (one house rule is that all boys must be clothed properly if ladies, other than Mom are in the house). This of course means that my selection of photos to share with ya'll from his birthday are few: as he looks like he is in his birthday suit in most of the indoor shots. Probably best that I not post those shots for the look rather odd.

He had a great day celebrating his 9th birthday and I"m glad that we went with the simple approach to celebrating. We had a couple friends over, played a few games, ate lunch, cake and presents and called it a day. Much easier on me and I really think he enjoyed it more than the bigger bashes we've had in the past.

The highlight for all the boys had to be playing with water. Between an attempt at water-gun soccer (which worked except the younger kids just couldn't help themselves in kicking the ball instead of letting the water do the work. This naturally angered the older boys) and a water balloon fight where even I found myself getting wet...it was all a grand time.

So, now I can kick back and relax...at least until next month when we do it all again for Thing Two!

Happy Birthday America...

Today marks the start of the Birthday Season here at the House of Chang. First up, we salute America as she celebrates her 230th birthday. Following in a close second place will be Thing One, then Grandpa (but he'll be celebrating in Norway this year) then me and we finish up in about 6 weeks with Thing Two! Toss in the birthdays of a couple good friends and well, there is going to be a whole lot of cake consumed around these parts in the coming weeks!

I remember exactly where I was 9 years ago today. Hubby and I had just moved into our house over on Ireland Street and after a couple days of hard work, we decided to seek refuge from the heat by going to the movie theatre. Yes: right there you have two signs of our stupidity: we bought a house without central air here in Colorado and I was well...not up to my usual productivity so to speak.

My dad was with us (having come out to help us move into our new house). We tried to go see Men In Black but within the first few minutes of the movie starting, I knew it wasn't going to happen. Those contractions were coming pretty regular at about 3 minutes apart.

I still chuckle when I remember our exit out of the theatre. Hubby looking pretty anxious,me in that 40th week of gestational haze: anxious about delivery, tired of being pregnant, and bringing up the rear is my dad. He spots the theatre manager and announces proudly "we're gonna have a baby!" and then he pauses just long enough to say "can we get them some rainchecks so they can come back and see the movie some other day?".

Yeah, and folks wonder where I get my frugal ways from! Ha, I shouldn't be the only one in the family whose tombstone will read "they had a coupon!"

And yes, for the record, we did make it back to see the movie AND I remembered to put the ticket stubs in the scrapbook!

It is good to be home...

This past vacation really snuck up on me. And once we were there, the week just flew by very quickly. So fast, that I wasn't really ready to come home. But alas, we had no choice and down the mountain we came.

Going into the trip, I was a bit worried or perhaps just curious to see how the Things would do on this trip. They've been rather spoiled in the travel department: having been to such cool and fun places as Disney (World and Land), LegoLand, Niagara Falls and even NYC. Toss in the trips to see family in MI, WI, FL and the Bay Area of CA and you can see where I wondered would they be impressed that this year we were only driving a couple hours and spending the week in the mountains?

As is often the case, they surprised me with their excitement and enthusiasm for the trip. Granted, a large part of their happiness stemmed from their pals being with us for most of the week. It was like on extended playdate WITH a sleepover that lasted 4 days.


But, they also seemed to be taking their time enjoying the beauty that makes our state so special.


I watched with awe as they excitedly floated an empty water bottle down a little stream, calling a small little trickle of water over rocks a "water fall".


I smiled as they realized that white mound of stuff was actually snow and that they could play in it just like they do in the winter time.


And I was grateful when they allowed me time to pause and smell (ok, photograph!) the flowers. It gave me great hope that we can continue with such vacations where the focus isn't so much as doing things/going places but instead just slowing down and appreciating that simpler things in life...like the goregeous mountains and precious flowers that bloom right in our backyard so to speak.

So, until our next trip, I share these final images with you of our Vacation 2006..with hopes of exploring more of Colorado in the years to come...

Camp Stamp-a-lot..

Ok, so maybe A LOT is an exaggeration, but while up in the mountains, I did manage to make 9 cards! My goal was 8, so I'm pleased with myself for exceeding my goal, even if by just one. Ah gee, if I could be so committed to exercise goals as my crafting goals, I'd be in great shape. But oh well: one can't be perfect at everything, right? Even us Marthas have a few weak areas!

The entire vacation really snuck up on me and so at the last minute I was grabbing my stamp stuff and once I sat down to make some cards, I realized I'd forgotten a couple "would have been nice" items. Oh well: you make do the best you can. And it was an important reminder for me that whenever I plan to craft away from my craft room, I need to take time to plan out what I want to work on.

So, for your viewing enjoyment, here's a sample of my creations.