Another year older...

And another year wiser. Yesterday I celebrated my 42nd birthday. I"ll spare you the lame joke I told over and over yesterday. It was barely funny yesterday and pathetic the day after.

But, this morning as as I slowly put away the stuff from our "Christmas in July" craft night with the coven, I found myself smiling. You see, I used to spend my birthdays in somewhat of a funk. Noting another year had passed, thinking of the things I didn't have. I know, not really like me and my usual "half full" attitude but there you have it: birthdays were a downer. I just wanted to get through the day and move on.

But lately, I find a birthday is a time to reflect on all that I have. I've got some pretty amazing gal pals. And while we are all a bit different, the one thing we have in common is the desire to support each other and nurture our friendships whenever we get a chance. I've got that supportive hubby of mine (who brings birthday cakes home even when driving his motorcycle), and those mostly sweet boys. Without a doubt, when it comes to people, I'm well stocked in the "good" department. And as for the stuff of life, well I've got plenty of goodness in that department as well. The roof over my head is sturdy, the walls on the house are sound and the house itself is filled with more possessions than one average person really needs.

So, really what do I have to complain about? Not much that is for sure...but give me a few weeks into the new school year, and I'm sure I'll find something. I always do...

The Cat is home

My creation
Originally uploaded by mchang1112

and the mouse is still playing. Click on image for a larger view.

At least it isn't porn

yet...only a matter of time I fear!

While he looks like his daddy...

I love seeing so much of me in my younger son! Saturday night, he tells me "Mom, I saw some blueberries in the fridge." Yes, you did. "And, I saw a tub of cool whip.". yes, that's right there is some in there. "Do you think we could have berries and cream?". UM, hello...of course we can.

And now, Monday morning rolls around and we're waiting for Thing One to wake up (he woke up once and went back to bed, saying he had a rough night. He does have restless nights from time to time). I've got HGTV on.

Thing Two chimes in "Oh yeah, this is the show we bet on to figure out which one they'll buy. I'm guessing #2, how about you?".

His momma's sweet tooth and a willingness to watch HGTV?
Oh my, you are so a mini-me! :)

Late Night Reading

No, I didn't stay up late reading HP7. One plus to showing up late to that party, is that I am no where close to being ready to read the final installment of this series.

Instead, I found I couldn't put down yet another book by Dorthea Benton Frank. Pawleys's Island marks the 3rd book that I've read by her. And while she does indeed follow a similar pattern in all her books, I either like her stories enough not to mind or it isn't such a structured pattern that it annoys me. Her books are perfect for summer reading: rich characters, with a bit of a quirk, a simple story that pulls you in but doesn't burden you down with heavy thinking and a crisp clear resolution by the time the book finishes up. This story is set on Pawley's Island, a coastal community located between Myrtle Beach and Charleston. Having been there a time or two, and realizing the power of an ocean breeze in terms of helping clear your head and renew your spirit, I loved the story as it unfolded. However, about 2/3 of the way in, she did pump the drama up just a tad too much where I thought "no way lady, dial it down a bit". The story would have been just as good without her adding that extra bit. But, she managed to bring it back down and wrapped the story up into a nice little package with all the lose ends tied up by the time I got to the last page. I like that in my chick lit: everything all wrapped up nice and neat. Because well, we know that real life isn't like at all and so it makes for good story telling on a hot summer evening.

But now I fear my days of reading will soon be winding to a close. While I won't put up a count down, I can tell you school resumes in just over a week. This week's plan is to work on getting back in the groove. Late last week, I worked on reestablishing bedtimes and evening routines and now we're getting a handle on eating breakfast and getting our day started rather than lounging around in. Notice I save this piece for last because I'm even more guilty than my children when it comes to the morning stall.

With that in mind, I'd better wrap up this post and get my day going. Make it a good one..

Living Proof

He is indeed a Chinese Cheese Head!

Home Sweet Home

I am very tired, with mountains of laundry pleading for attention. I've got a lawn that is long overdue for some TLC and weeds tall enough to draw attention from the HOA weed police. We have less than 2 weeks before we go back to school/work despite my having plenty of things I wanted to get to while we are all off track. I'm still trying to figure out how we all start out with similar genetics and similar upbringings but end up so dramatically different in the way we live our daily lives. (*yes, a trip to see mostly family leaves you with lots of conversations that don't need to be released to the Internet. So, they are still stuck in my head.)Without a doubt, I've got plenty of things to be cranky about this morning.

But, on the plus side: last night I slept in my own bed, with my Hubby who is neither a bed hog nor cover hoarder like my kids were. My A/C was on and working. My coffee pot brewed the perfect blend and I can sip that coffee all morning long without trying to remember what is the next stop on our Tour of Obligation.

And most important, I've downloaded some pictures from the camera to finally share with ya'll. No doubt about it, while it is fun to travel, it is always good to finally be home!

And they wonder why I'm a control freak..

Just when I thought I was capable of loosening up my death grip of controlling all things (I'm a Martha, it is genetic), I have sustained a serious set back.

Last night, I let the Things frolic and play in the pools after dinner. I was waterlogged so I sat poolside without getting in. 2 hrs in a water park in street clothes is a very hot and humid time so when I got up to the room I was having a major hot flash. My dear sweet cousin, who had skipped on the last run to the water park, assured me she had turned down the a/c and that things would be cooling off real soon. Sure, I cooled down a bit but the hot flash just never seemed to go away.

As a recovering control freak, I figured, everyone knows how to adjust a hotel a/c unit, right?
Think again! I discovered this morning that not only was a window left open (messing with the effectiveness of a/c) but she'd turned the fan on high but had the temperature set closer to warm than cold. Grrrrrrr....

Who knew that not EVERYBODY knows how to operate a hotel air conditioning unit?

Tonight? I'm resting comfortably in a different hotel, free of kinfolk. I'm waiting patiently for the first coven of friends to arrive. Nancy and Cathy were indeed some of my earliest gal pals where I first realized, while you can't pick you family, you can indeed pick your friends. And these are keepers...having known them both almost 30 years now! They do indeed know where the bodies are buried!

And, I'm also guessing, they know how to adjust the a/c!

Join in the chorus...

as I know a couple of y'all know the tune.. Going to the Great Wolf Lodge!

The wait is over. We head up this morning to the Wisconsin Dells where we check into our room. I"m so very excited to explore all that this place offers. The Things have surpassed my expectations for patiently waiting for this point in our trip to arrive. what troopers they can be when they set their mind to it.

I've not even tried to load photos. Figure I"m doing good to just get online. (I'm not the geek in the family). The trip is going great. We've met up with all sorts of family and friends and have sampled the usual summer fare that makes WI such a fine place to visit. Even made an after dinner run last night for frozen custard at Kopps. Good stuff I tell ya!

Milwaukee Style

As we were driving over to my aunt's house last night, we saw LOTS of motorcyclists. This is after all, Harley Mecca. (note: Hubby is a BMW motorcycle owner, not a Harley guy)

So, we drive by one fella on his bike. He's about as wide as his bike. Thing One chirps up from the backseat after I made some sort of comment with: "Oh mom, he's just riding Milwaukee style".

Thing Two also had me chuckling yesterday when out of the blue he observed: "you know, Wisconsin is a hard place to visit if you are lactose intolerant".

Where do they get these thoughts? Right on the money, both times.

All is well here. Uneventful trip out. Airport very crowded. Parking lots were all full (even the remote remote lot). Anyone planning air travel trips in the coming months: give yourself plenty of extra time to avoid the frustration of waiting in long lines.

Cousins are coming over this afternoon. Hubby is at his rally. Just called to check in: he can't find his own bike in the sea of motorcycles. Too funny!

Life is good...but no pictures as I'm on dial up!

On to Wisconsin

Hey, would you look at that, Blogger let me title this one..

OK, the bags are packed, boarding passes are printed and we're out of here. Hope I didn't forget anything. Oh well...if I did...guess what, they have stores there. I know: big surprise eh? Figure in the land of cheese, all they have is..cheese? Nah, one can still indulge in a bit of retail therapy if necessary.

Not sure what the Internet situation will be like. Hubby and I are parting ways at one point in the adventure and without him around, it is always a great mystery whether I'll be able to figure out the laptop.

So, until next week...

This week's challenge: Summertiiiiiiiiiiiime, and the living is EEEeeezzzzzzy.Tell us how you feel about summer. This summer, a childhood summer, summer traditions, random summer memories, summer sights and smells and sounds. Whatever. Wax poetic about summertime!

I was going to skip this challenge. Lacking both time and inclination because the to-do list is long and the clock is ticking. But, as I read Aimee's challenge this morning, I too was recalling the sweetness of my own mid-west summer memories.

Growing up, my favorite cousin was Sarah. She was a little bit older than me but that never seemed to bother either one of us. She was a little bit different than me, but again, didn't bother either of us. And while we shared one grandmother, she was lucky enough to have her other grandmother living in the same little town as our shared grandma. So, every summer around this time our parents would take us up to see the grandmas. I'd stay with mine. She'd stay with her paternal grandma. One of our differences is I'm an early bird (as was my grandma) and cousin Sarah...well, mornings weren't her forte!

Yet, during the day we'd spend our days laughing and playing like two peas in a pod. Acting goofy, playing paper dolls, eating sweet corn drenched with butter and salt, helping Grandma with laundry (it was fun because she had an old ringer washer), heading out to the family farm and splashing in the creek at the Old Red Mill. Such fabulous happy memories!

Well, we grew up and I moved (again and again, further away with each move it seemed). But, whenever I went back to Wisconsin, I'd always take time to see Cousin Sarah. We are both married now, with 2 kids each. And in just 2 days we'll see each other again.

And in celebration of this life long family connection, I've got a little trip planned for all of us. While the grandmothers have both passed away (leaving no reason to visit the tiny town they lived in), we are still taking a trip together. This time we'll load up own vehicles, buckle in our own kids and head out to Wisconsin Dells. Where we will spend a couple days remembering the days gone by and creating a few more memories at The Great Wolf Lodge. I just hope that she isn't still a night owl...as I don't think I can even pretend to hang with that crowd for even a night or two.

Summertime...if you can forget about the never ending heat, it really is a great season of fun!

When the cat is away...

When the Cat is away... the mice will certainly play!

Seriously, honey, we miss you and wish you a safe journey. We'll see you on Wednesday.

Sister Wives: see you tomorrow and park wherever you want, unless Carol has beaten you over here and is hogging the driveway!

Books and Flicks

Just a quick review of a couple movies and a book I finished this week.

For starters, if you like a good chic lit, try Plantation a Low Country Tale by Dorothea Benton Franks. This marks the second book I've read by her in the last couple of months and I must say I enjoyed this one even more than the first. It is a tale of an adult woman coming home, to learn that maybe she's not so different from her mother after all. It is a casual summer read, with richly developed characters and while the plot is predictable (as is always the case in chic lit), it doesn't seem too unbelievable (another flaw with chic lit). I picked up another book by this same author at the library. We'll see if she follows a formula to her writings. I noticed similarities in her first two books but not outright formula writing that makes me irritable. We shall see if she's capable of writing a third good book. Similar is OK, it is when the pattern of the story is almost identical that I get very annoyed. Yeah right, like I could do better?

As for movies, I"m trying to catch up on some chic flicks I rented through Blockbuster Home Delivery. First up was "How to lose a guy in 10 days". Cute premise and Kate Hudson is a good comedic actress. You can tell she's Goldie's Hawn's daughter: she can be goofy and beautiful at the same time. And well, 2 hrs with Matthew Mcconaughey...enough said! (While I don't like him as a celebrity tabloid feature, I do enjoy him on the screen playing the role of leading man. Outside of the screen, I think he's too handsome and he knows it! Again, yeah right who am to be such a critic? ).

Last night I watched an interesting independent film called Real Women have Curves. It stars America Ferrara (Ugly Betty before she became ugly). I rather enjoyed this movie. Keep in mind, it is in an independent film so it has that "artsy" feel to it but you can really appreciate the turmoil that this 17yr old girl is struggling with. If not for the one love scene, I'd highly recommend it be a mother-daughter movie to watch with teenage girls. The scene itself was tastefully done (more of an implied, hey we know what is happening than actually filming a love scene) but it is still a young woman having sex. I think it would just be awkward watching that scene with a parent. Overall I like the film's ability to show a Hispanic family at a cultural crossroads: while comfortable in your own culture, the need to move forward in both education and exposure to the great community that exists out there.

Now I really must work on getting ready for company (fresh coffee and butter braid at 10am, drop on over if you want) and think about getting stuff ready for vacation next week. Oh but blogging is so much more pleasurable than folding laundry, sweeping the floor, making bed, unloading the dishwasher. sheesh...I need to get my hiney off of this office chair!

It was a jungle out there..

Yesterday, we celebrated Thing One's passage into the land of double digits. I'm still pretty dazed by the reality he's been around for a decade now.

For his celebration, my goal was to keep it simple! I was pleasantly surprised by how much he helped with that goal! He asked to bring 3 friends (which I kept telling him his brother was a bonus invite. Every time I'd ask him which 3 he wanted, he started with his brother and added 2 more names. How sweet is that?) to lunch. After lunch we'd head across town to Jungle Quest For lunch, I offered to take them anywhere. Yeah, right while we could have been eating something good from TGI Fridays or Gunther Toody's, the unanimous decision was to head across the street to Burger King!

As I sit here this morning after I realize that, while simple is easier to plan and execute, it is just as tiresome. Birthdays are exhausting! Be it that very first day of birth, or ten years later...I'm just all tuckered out. Nah, not really. These days I'm far less tired and even more in love with that kid we call Thing One! Happy Birthday Son! We love you bunches and bunches!

Evil Girls

Overheard just now..
Thing One's friend, CK: "Girls are evil, they put glue on your door".
Thing One: REALLY? I didn't know they did that sort of evil stuff
CK: YEP, my sister is a girl and she did that to my door last week. Hey, isn't your mom a girl?
Thing One: Yeah, I better watch my door!

Quote Me..

This week's challenge is something I came up with on my own (although this morning, my usual source for Blog Challenges posted a new one. I'll get to that one later on).

The reasoning behind this challenge is two fold: first off, a friend of mine has an interesting tag line in her signature and I'm hoping she'll take time to explain it to us since I made up a challenge designed to do just that...take your favorite quote and explain it.

The other reason I came up with this particular challenge relates to a magazine article I was reading this week. The article asked readers to explain why certain words of wisdom had special meaning to them. I liked the quotes they included in the article and thought I could turn this into a challenge. I am curious to see what other quotes are out there that have a special meaning to my blogging friends.


Overall, I'd say my favorite phrase is Live, Love, Laugh. While there are a couple variations on this phrase out there, I love how it pretty much sums up all the important elements needed to have a a fulfilling life. Live a little, Love a lot and laugh often. With those 3 ingredients in place: you are sure to have a good day and a pretty decent life in general.


As for the magazine article I read, here are some of the quotes that they included

• Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy? unknown


• A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for. William Shedd
  
• Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle. Plato
• You were born an original. Don't die a copy. John Mason
• You will never be happy with what you want if you are not happy with what you have. unknown
• A day without laughter is a day wasted. Charlie Chaplin
• It is impossible to travel faster than the speed of light, and certainly not desirable, as one's hat keeps blowing off. Woody Allen

All of these are inspiring enough to remind us to get off our duffs, and crawl out of our ruts and go make today happen! And since today is Independence Day, it would not hurt to take time to give Thanks that we are living in this nation where we have so many opportunities available to us, so many freedoms and so many choices. While our nation isn't perfect, our politicians all seem corrupt, and we have some policies that make us all cringe, it is our country.... Sweet Land of Liberty! Get out there and fly the flag and make at least today a happy one!

*Today's photos are from some archived pictures of when my Things were little. I just love looking back and seeing how much they change from year to year.

Dog Days of Summer

Wondering what that really means, I looked over at Wiki. Yet again, he had the answer. Man, term papers would have been a breeze if Wiki were around when I was in school.

But seriously, it is the hot season. My yard is brown because it is so hot and I'm too cheap to spend as much on watering as I should. We water just enough to keep it from total death.

The Things decided it was too hot to go to the pool so instead we sought comfort at the movies yesterday. Went to see Ratatouille. Cute movie, even if the scampering and scurrying scenes forced me to cover my eyes. I'm not a fan of rodents traveling in large groups. Ewww.

The movie itself was fun to watch as a grown up. But just like the last kiddie movie we watched (Meet the Robinsons), I was wondering who was their target audience? There were plenty of little kids in the audience and yet the message of the movie was definetly geared towards an older set. You have the animation element. You give it the G rating, and I think families figure it is OK for any age child. But the story required a fair amount of listening and it was rather long making it more appropriate for the school aged child. Towards the end I spotted a couple preschoolers playing off to the side. I think the message was lost on the little ones and there wasn't enough action to at least keep them engaged.

So, that is about it over here. I just figured I should put something up on the blog since Hubby commented last night "behind in your blogging, eh?" as he surfed.

Blame it on the heat...even the boys aren't making funny remarks!

Dude, that's not gonna fly once you get married...

Yesterday, dropping off the library books, I asked the Things "who wants to run these over to the drop box?" When one of the two piped up, "Not me, that's woman's work"

Huh? What do you mean, woman's work?

"Well, women do the work while men sit around and drink the beer" explained Thing Two (bet you thought I was going to say it was Thing One?)

Trust me, he had to have learned that from TV because I'm the one more likely to be sitting around drinking the beer while Hubby does the work!

And with summer here, it is more likely I'm sipping a cold margarita and recovering from my moment of insanity yesterday.

I'd made arrangements for ONE friend to come over (the cute quiet kid that always brings his company manners, much to his grandmother's surprise...apparently, he's not so nice to his little brother and sister). Next thing you know, I've called another classmate and said sure to our little waif of a neighbor boy that spends his days just wandering around looking for someone to be with (are we that cautious or are his parents that careless?). Before I knew it, I was cooking french fries and chicken for 5 boys ages 7-9!

And the really scary part was how good they all were...I think that quiet kid must have shared his aura. Either that or my mommy juice was altering the reality of it all.

So today I'm wondering what little blog worthy comment they will decide to share? If it weren't for those crazy boys I'd have nothing to chat about!

Photos

Per Heidi's request, while I didn't get a good picture of the back side, I have this one of the front and will take a posed shot of the back. These are the fun t-shirts that Dodi designed for us to wear. It celebrates the birthday girl's love of rock music and concerts. We had to resort to a bit of detective work and thanks to Google we were able to confirm that the locations and concert dates were correct when we found her mom's phone number online and rang her up in Wyoming.

Teamwork, yes indeed, it gets the job done!

Oh the things that you learn..

Last night, we rounded up the neighborhood fans of Big Love for our second group viewing party. What a fun little sorority we've formed to watch this show together. I know, it is just entertainment and socialization. But if the guys can bond over a pig skin, why can't we bond over a show about polygamy?

Last night I learned about a philosophical practice taken on by some young adults called Straight Edge. I've wiki'd it and while I now feel more educated, it is just one more thing to add to my list of mommy worries. Did our parents worry about the future for us as much as I sometimes worry about it for my boys?

We also learned this week that a lifelong friend of Hubby's is going to be a grandpa. Yeah, pretty exciting stuff. Of course, it would be more exciting if the expectant father was done with college and had a job before taking on the role of dad. But, our friends are being supportive which is really all you can do when your children get themselves into such trouble. Help them work through it. I guess that part of parenting you never outgrow, eh?

That and the worrying...

One night stand

That's all I want. Just to be able to book one hotel/lodge/motel room in the mountains. A room that sleeps four, for ONE NIGHT. Not two. And certainly not four nights.

It could be worse: my friends are leaving in the morning for California. And karma is not on their side as they learned last night the house they'd made arrangements to rent MONTHS ago burned in the Tahoe Fires that are still raging.

Back to Google I go...and well, maybe 2 nights wouldn't be such a bad thing? It is hotter than hot here on the Front range. Two nights of slightly cooler, definitely fresher mountain air might be refreshing.

Weekend Report

• Cropped till we dropped. Especially Colleen. She has discovered the ease of using top loading albums. There was no stopping that "weekend-cropping virgin". I managed to get about 16 pages done which was pretty good considering how I tinkered and tweaked a couple of my pages. (photos to follow later on, the battery on the camera is recharging).
  
• Snacked till we popped. Thanks to TZ. She stopped at Super Target on the way there. Tons of food, even a JUMBO box of Junior mints that some how ended up in my bag. Oh yeah, I suppose my bringing over Maggianos figured into the excess of food consumed this weekend.

Because I really like TZ, I won't show the picture I took of her. But look at the Waspina in the pretty hat on the posting about the Finish Line. That is her.

Laughed till we couldn't stop. Thanks to Carol and her insistence that she had remained a good Catholic girl until her wedding night, and my willingness to believer her. . Oh, and there were some others contributing to the laughter, like Dodi's most awesome t-shirt designs celebrating 40 years of Marcie.



• And mostly, we all just took time out of our busy lives to celebrate that gift we call Friendship.

Gee, how come nobody else has a 40th birthday coming up soon? I am so liking this getting away for the weekend concept!

The Finish Line

Yahoo! I made it to the end of the year without making any more scenes. And if you know me and my mouth, that says a lot.

And since TZ asked so nicely, here are some photos from the last day of Goof Off Week. All in all, the boys both had great years. They grow so much over the course of a school year and it is easy to get stuck in the rut of what they didn't master, when really if I take a step back and see all that they did master, well, it puts a smile on my face.

So, I'm out of here for the weekend. A good friend turned 40 last month and requested a slumber party adventure. Merlot, Italian food, laughter and time away from kidlets: the perfect recipe for a primo weekend. I'm taking my craft crap but not making any promises on whether I'll get much done. I"d like to, but more importantly, I want to have make sure my friend realizes that turning 40 is when the fun really gets started!

PS: you may call off the paparazzi intervention. I've recovered from my picture problem, having snapped 90 pictures in the last 2 days of goof off week events. Maybe I'd better re-think my scrapbooking goals?

Goof Off Week continues

For your viewing pleasure. Another track wide adventure across the street to the neighborhood park. Got a little warm there towards the end but the kids had fun.

And lesson learned, no matter how old you get, it is still fun to have lunch with your momma!

Stream of Consciousness

Seems I"m the last one in my usual circle of blogging pals to give this challenge a whirl:

• the challenge: Just write. Stream of consciousness. Doesn't matter if it even makes sense. Who cares if it flows. Just start. Just type whatever pops into your brain. Go.

Man, my head hurts this morning. did i take some allergy/sinus/headache stuff. Yeah I did, I left the water glass on the counter. Coffee probably making it worse. who cares. I love my morning cup of Joe. would people be surprised to learn I talk to myself a lot. need to find out what time the classes are going to the park for their picnic. promised to bring the boys mcdonalds and extra fries for their friends. come home. clean up the basement. work on teachers gift. fold laundry from yesterday, start laundry for today. make some long overdue cards. check with aunt Phyllis to make sure that we can stay with them next month or should we stay in a hotel with a pool ?but the boys aren't as excited about just swimming as they once were. Tired. Is it Friday yet? Take out the trash. Figure out which smoke detector is beeping. quit talking to myself: let it go, it isn't a big deal. Uh oh Gotta go . coffee is kicking in. am I done talking? no I've always got something more to say. that's a problem I should work on. work out: walk this morning with Sherri: my favorite new morning ritual second only to the cup of coffee. look are we almost out of good coffee? Yeah there is always folgers, but it is FOLGERS for goodness sake. Emergency use only. add it to the grocery list. now I really have to go potty. outta here. Still talking to myself.

Whew...I'm tired but it feels good to take that conversation and release it.

Short Shorts

Remember the jingle: Who wears short shorts? Well, lately I've noticed Thing Two has been wearing pants to school, even as the temperatures start to climb. I recall asking him a time or to, "why not wear shorts" and he'd grumble and moan that his shorts were too short.

Oh man, Mr. Modesty? I don't know if I can handle two extremes: a boy who thinks his shorts are too short and a boy who thinks if you've got underwear on, you are good to go in the clothing requirement.

So, this morning I came just short of begging him to please put on some shorts (it is supposed to reach 90 degrees this afternoon). He complied with my request, and came over, pointed to the waist band (very snug I noticed) "See, I told you they are too short for my belly!".

Light bulb moment for Mom. I laughed as I explained that would be too tight, not too short.
Add to today's to do list: Buy Boy some not so short shorts....

Quick, you'd better notify the authorities

The boys had their class trip to the Reservoir today. I had my camera. I had every intention of snapping a bunch of fun photos. I ended up taking 10, and of those, maybe 3 are worth keeping.

That has to be a new record low for me. And why you ask was I so uninspired? I could come up with a long list of possible explanations but suffice to say...we just need to make it through this week. My brain is weary. My patience is about to run out. It is just time to put an end to this school year.

I don't think I"m alone in this thought. At our usual end of the day chat, I asked Thing Two what was his favorite part of the day and he replied "Playing with C. and TJ after school". C is the neighbor boy that moved away last year and is in town this week visiting.

Yep, get those mugs a frostin' and the bucket of Margaritas a chillin' because I'm ready to say goodbye to learning and hello to Summer Fun!

Optimism

"The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser - in case you thought optimism was dead.” R. Brault

Yeah, I am still procrasting...

Blog challenges: still playing catch up

And this morning, doing a little procrastination, so figured, why not do last week's blog challenge?
Here it is..

Marth-ology

ARCHAEOLOGY: the study of material remains

• What's the oldest article of clothing you still wear?: I'd guess it is a sweatshirt from some time in the late 1990s.
• What's the oldest article of clothing you won't get rid of? There are a couple items stashed in a closet that were made by mom/grandma that for sentimental reasons I can't part with.
• When was the house/building you live in built? Hubby will correct me on this one, but early 1990s. ?1992 I believe
• What in your fridge needs to be thrown out? while it is clear of old food, something sticky spilled that needs to be wiped up.

BIBLIOLOGY: the study of publication

• What are you reading? Right now, blogs and message boards, but I have two books from the library I'd like to start on.
• Do you have a favorite quote? Live Love Laugh
• What's the most recent music you purchased? I keep telling you, I'm very musically impaired.
• What book could you read again without being bored? The Red Tent

CARDIOLOGY: the study of the heart

• How old were you the first time you fell in love? in my 20s.
• What charities do you have a heart for? Breast cancer and autism awareness
• What's the best way someone can show their love for you? listening to me, standing by my side during troubled times.
• Name five things you "love": family, friends, high speed internet, crafts and reading

PHYSIOLOGY: the study of physical function

• Are you right-handed or left-handed? Left because you all know we are the only ones in our right minds!
• Do you like your smile? yes, but these extra chins I keep developing seem to be detracting from my appreciation of my smile. Gotta work too hard to make sure the smile looks natural without the chins overpowering the look.
• What's your best feature? a physical attribute? Well, I guess I'd say my eyes.
• Have you ever had anything removed from your body? Wisdom teeth?
• Which of your five senses do you think is keenest? Intuition, I know not one of the 5 but it is my keenest so there.

OMNOLOGY: the study of everything

• What color do you think looks best on you? Periwinkle. I once heard everyone looks good in it and I think that's right.
• Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake? No, that talent seems to be reserved for Thing One.
• What's your favorite flavor of gum? TMJ: try to avoid it. In a pinch of halitosis with no access to a breath mint, I"ll go with something minty.
• Where's the first place you went today? to the coffee supply cabinet.
• Do you stand or sit in the shower? except for when I broke my foot, I am a stander.

AXIOLOGY: the study of the nature of values and value judgments

• Would you walk naked for a half mile down a public street for $100,000? if I get to pick the time and the street.
• Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100? As long as it isn't French smooching
• Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000? I guess if there was a magazine that targeted saggy boobs and thunderous thighs, sure why not?
• What value is of utmost importance to you in a friend? loyalty
• Would you accept an indecent proposal for $1,000,000? I'd talk it over with Hubby, but yeah, assuming it doesn't involve anything anal...why not we could use the cash.

TECHNOLOGY: usage and knowledge of tools

• What's the last movie you saw? Family movie night last night: Night at the Museum
• What's the first website you visit when you log on?check my email
• What's your ring tone? I don't know, the phone rings so infrequently.
• Would you quit blogging for $25,000? Finally, a tough one. Since it has become a way for me and my busy friends to chat with each other when we each have a free moment, it would be a hard call because staying connected with my friends despite our busy schedules is very important to me. I guess, but we'd all have to use that $ to get together regularly and catch up.
• What piece of equipment do you wish you owned? The thought that there is a gadget out there that we don't own just seems simply impossible to imagine.

GENEALOGY: the study of relationships within families

• Is there a specific family member you're really missing right now? my mom of course
• Who is your oldest living relative? I'm thinking there is a great aunt out there still alive but as for close relatives, we've lost most of my grandma's generation, so I guess some Uncle in his late 70s? My grandmothers did make it into their 90s but we've moved on to the next generation is seems.
• Are you named after anyone? according to family, no. Which just seems odd because Martha is so old fashioned, you'd think I was named after somebody.
• Is there anyone really famous in your family tree nope, but I"m sure we've got a couple skeletons in the closet. Doesn't everyone?

Semper Fi

Last night Hubby and I joined one of our neighbor's in celebrating her promotion in the USMC. Yes, you read that right: she's a Marine! I've always gotten a chuckle out of that (picturing some playground threat of "if you don't stop that, I'm telling my mom, and she's a Marine) yet I also respect the challenges she has dealt with. Serving on active duty in our military is hard enough, imagine doing it while being a single mom. She and her family are moving later this summer and while I wish her well in the next stage of her career, I know my boys and I will miss the family greatly. (she's the mom that took my kids to the pool last weekend and I got to stay home and go out to dinner with a friend!). Way to go Gunner!

Aside from that, we're looking at another quiet weekend. I should be all motivated to tend to some tasks around the house. But, I"m not...so here I sit.

The boys are entering the homestretch of their school year and I can honestly say I've got mixed emotions. For Thing Two, the year can't end soon enough. He fell under the teacher's radar and well, that's pretty sad for me as a mom to realize that my son's quiet nature resulted in him being left on his own. Oh sure, he's about where he should be but at the same time..imagine where he MIGHT be if he'd had a teacher interested in the student as an individual not part of a collective mass that just needs to meet the minimum expectations for his grade.

And then there is Thing One's teacher where everything she does has made me think "she really is passionate about her profession". Thing One didn't make all the progress I'd hoped he would make but imagine how much further behind he would be if he had NOT had this extremely hard working teacher trying her darnedest to get him up to speed.

We use the phrase night and day when describing differences in two similar yet very different objects. Without a doubt, the teachers my boys had this year were "night and day" different in the passion for which they practiced their profession.

Yet another thing I hope to teach my boys...bring passion to your work. Whether you choose a career in the service or some other job...approach it with passion. Your efforts will be rewarded if you do so.

A first grade shake down?

I'm still not sure what he's up to, but Thing Two was begging to take some $ to school. He said he wanted to pay a debt for one of his pals. Aw, that's so sweet, but seriously, first graders shaking each other down? I thought we went through this in kindergarten? Haven't we moved on to some other tactic? Wedgies, wet willies or even swirlies?

Apparently, one kid accidentally tripped another kid and the tripped kid said "you owe me". And somewhere in this conversation Thing Two decided that meant paying the tripped one some cash. I tried my best to talk him out of this but I could see he was pretty anxious about it all, and yet the facts and the timing of his concern just didn't add up. Listening to his story sounded like he'd taken bits and pieces of all sorts of past encounters and created one huge Friday Morning Fear. Add in that all of this unfolds in the five minutes before we head out the door for school...and well, yes, he left home with $1 in his pocket to pay his friend's debt.

Odds are there is a momma who is going to discover an extra dollar in her daughter's pocket and say "Where did this come from?" and I'm guessing the little girl will say "I have NO idea, But Thing Two insisted I take it and I didn't want to hurt his feelings".

Man...I'm gonna miss the innocence of first grade (but that is about all I"ll miss!)

Color Check...

It is Jun 14th. Go fly the colors!

Letting Go

Has never come easily for me. I get myself so worked up over something rather small and I just can't.let.it.go.

But, I must.
I need to.
I will not get the satisfaction I need no matter how much I harp on it.

Enough. The matter has been dropped.
It is time to bring out the fun.
And since I've been in a funk all week, I haven't had much fun to share. For your laugh of the day, go read about a creative way to handle an annoying phone call.

Big Love Premiere Party

Thanks Shania for hosting our Big Love gathering. I think Lucy and I are going to run off and get hitched. Never mind that she's a bitch, I love her just the same! (Lucy the Great Dane and I were cuddling on the couch. Was it me that she liked or the popcorn I kept dropping?)

Seriously, we gathered the coven last night for the first viewing of this second season of Big Love. My initial impression was "OK" but as I pondered the theme last night, it made a little more sense. Every marriage, whether involving 1 wife or 3, goes through some tough spots where you look at it and think are we where we thought we'd be, are we secure in the roles we all hold and if not, what is it we want to change (I'm thinking mostly of the story line for Barb last night).

Oh, who am I kidding. It is a show on HBO for crying out loud. Not a documentary on PBS....lets get back to the real questions: were those not the best mojitos you've had in a long time? And what makes a Mormon a Jack Mormon? Does it imply he doesn't know Jack about his faith? Or is he the wayward brother of Joe? Off to goggle the term since our resident member of the church couldn't answer our questions (although she did a great job of sharing other parts of her faith).

Thanks ladies, I had a blast. Sure hope our other sister wife, Dodi can join us next time!

Maria's Mosiac

Maria's Mosiac
Originally uploaded by mchang1112

I'd totally spaced last week's challenge to try making a photo mosiac. And in celebration of my friend Maria-Teresa's excellent mosiac skills, I thought I"d share with you all our Maria in a mosiac.

She sure is pretty isn't she?

Again he cracked me up...

Twice yesterday that boy had me laughing out loud. And considering how I was still trying to unwind from being all wound up, I'm so grateful for his natural innocence that often brings me to a point of laughing my hiney off!

Last night I was watching Entourage. For someone who is fascinated by the celebrity scene (are drugs really that plentiful I wonder with my Midwestern naivety), this is a fun show. You just have to tune out the F bombs being dropped.

Thing Two comes in and asks me "What are you watching?"
I had already reached for the remote and put the player on pause, when I said "Honey, you can't watch this with me, there is too much grown up talk".

"Oh don't worry Mom, I won't say any of the cause words".

The what? I asked him...
"You know the cause words...like, well, I can't say them, can I spell them?"

*still dazed and perplexed I said OK...yes, spell one..
he points to his hiney and says you know...cause word like A.S.S.

Oh...cue the rolling on the floor laughter...you mean CUSS words.
Um no...you still can't watch the show because there is a bunch of other grown up things going on (making it my kind of show!).

Oh well, at least he's practicing..

"What are you doing, Thing Two?"
...With his head tucked into the tv cabinet, finger stretched out dragging it along the top of the VCR

"Practicing my spelling Mom, I'm writing in the dust!"

*ouch. But at least he's practicing...

Catch you on the other side...

Saturday morning. Coffee is brewed. Heading out to buy some doughnuts for all of us. (maybe my problem is that there is a carb deficiency in my system?). And then, off to the basement for a day of cleaning up and playing with my craft crap.

You there? Either do your homework or go outside and play.
We've had enough belly aching for this week, time to relax and recharge our batteries!

I'm tired...

and I need to let go of my worries of the day. Nothing major. I've just spent the past school year trying to see the positive side of a situation and I'm just plain worn out. I lost it today and out came "CPT Blunt". She's my alter ego that tells it like it is. My dad coined the nickname (remember, we're big on nicknames in our family) back in my Army days. If you've not had the pleasure of meeting her, you are taken aback at first. But a girl can only take so much before she just has had enough.

I've had enough...
Do not disturb, as I appear disturbed enough...thank you very much...

*now the true test will be whether this person who was the target of my frustration can handle it in a mature fashion. Good people can. They realize I was just being blunt. I'm not really mean spirited by nature. (because if I were then I'd be a sociopath and that's a totally different issue)Odds are she'll put her pretty little face into a pout that will carry her through until next year for sure.

Happy Baby update

We interupt this blog to remind you that yes, there are other adorable Chang boys out there besides just Thing One and Thing Two. Here's the latest photo of our handsome nephew, Baby E. According to Thing Two, he must be very strong because he's got really big muscles.

As you can see, he remains a happy guy and is now crawling. Good Luck Ling and Carlos: your parenting adventure is about to take a new twist now that you've entered the stage of mobility!

And then there were 12...

Days of School left in this school year.
Today is Field Day. You'd think they'd be up ready and waiting to rush off to school?
Nah, we're all so ready for the year to end that even that isn't a much of a motivation for them this year.

It must be something in the wind...

First I look for my car in the wrong parking lot.
And now, my fellow blog pal and neighborhood coven member, Colleen can't seem to remember where she left her daughter. Preschool, right? Nope, seems Colleen forgot to take her daughter to school in the first place. Kind of hard to pick up your daughter from school when you never got her from the baby sitter's in the first place.

*you had to be there, but it was rather funny. Her older daughter stole the moment though when she honestly asked her mom "can you forget to take me to school tomorrow?"

Yep...something in the wind...because surely it has nothing to do with our age or hair color!

There's happy and then there's sappy

This past week, I managed to read two books. Yes, I know, I need to get a life. But really, this is my favorite time of year to read. The days are getting longer. There is nothing on t.v. worth watching. At least until next week when Big Love premieres (fingers crossed someone out there will take pity on me and at least tape HBO because I'm too cheap to pay for it). So, I read.

The first book I read was Queen of the Big Time by Adriana Trigiani. The story spans the life of one woman as she grows up in NE Pennsylvania. I found myself thinking of my own mother and grandmother as they started out on the farm, and moved into town. The author tells a fine story and creates enough drama to keep you interested but doesn't take that turn from happy (or feel good) to sappy. Overall, I'd consider it a good summer, stretch out on the couch, sip your cold one and read sort of book.

Now for sappy, I found myself reading Nora Robert's Midnight Bayou. I admit it has been a very long time since I've read anything by good ole Nora. And my memory is fading, but sheesh, I don't remember her being such a heavy duty sap of a writer. HELLO? I don't think even gay men give speeches with such melodrama that this main male character was delivering. Sorry to the N.R. fans out there, but this one was over the top romantic nonsense and sap. And yet, I still finished it. Because...well, sometimes you just need sap, don't you?

Aside from reading, I also was able to steal away down to the craft room to play for awhile. It's been a long stretch( by my standards) and it felt good to play. The photos weren't the most inspiring (sometimes there is a reason that they sit there unscrapped for close to 2 years). But, once I found the right sketch and the right paper, I"m pleased with how they turned out. What do you think?

Now I really must get back to being a wife and mother. I've been rather selfish this weekend taking time to pursue my own interests. Oh well, my guys love me enough to give me that time...I'm a pretty luck gal, aren't I? Oh, and yes, just a wee bit spoiled...I know.

Sounds that annoy

Have you ever noticed how when you are the one operating the following noisy gadgets, the sound isn't nearly as annoying as when you are the one just hearing the noise?

• lawn mowers
• hair dryers
• vacuums
• video games
• the obnoxious vent over the stove.

It is a beautiful day here. I've got the windows wide open. And while I"m glad that one of the neighbors is doing some lawn chores (sadly not the ones with weeds covering their backyard), the sound of his lawnmower is enough to drive me to drink.

Oh who am I kidding? The sound of the five boys I'm tending to makes me crave alcohol...I"m just looking for supporting evidence to allow me to pop open a cold one long before it is 5 o'clock ANYWHERE!

The Challenged Artist

This week's blog challenge, courtesy of Stacy over there in Cowtown:

• "Every child is an artist.The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."-Pablo Picasso
  Reflect on this quote. What was the first piece of art your created? Were you artistic as a child? Did you love to color? Did you learn any art forms - needle arts, painting, sculpting? Did anyone nurture your creativity? Were you drawn to any specific type of art? Has your child created something that he was proud of? Are you still an artist today? In what way? Do you consider scrapbooking an art? Choose any aspect you like, but incorporate a childhood artist somehow into your story. Dig deep, and have fun discovering your forgotten childhood artist!

I'm sure if my parents were available for comment, they would have some truly embarrassing story involving me and art created on an inappropriate surface using a non-kid appropriate medium. But since they aren't around, I can only guess that yes, I enjoyed creative expression since I was a child. I can't recall the first piece of art. Nobody in the family was big into keeping those preschool masterpieces. There are a few odds and ends drawings stuck in a box that somebody thought worth saving, but no real story behind any of it.

Now as an adult looking back, I think of myself more as a crafter than an artist. I guess because next to nothing I make is an original idea. Sure I take a pattern and make it my own. But to make something start to finish without any copying involved, it happens so infrequently that I just don't think about it much.

And yet, I am perfectly OK with all of this! Before taking up scrapbooking, I was a huge cross stitcher. I still have a couple of my favorite works tucked away here and there. One of my first projects I made and had framed was for my great uncle. He loved trains and so one year we made him a train. I'd long forgotten about it. Until one day, a package arrived containing the cross stitched train piece. Uncle Jack had passed away. Somebody (either my dad or my aunt) noticed my name on the back and sent it back to me. How perfect to receive this piece of work...especially as I was pregnant with Thing Two, expecting my second son who would one day become fascinated with trains as much as his great great Uncle Jack did.

That's what makes me pursue my current favorite craft with such passion. The thought that someday my boys will look at our family albums with their children and be reminded of the many fun things we enjoyed as a family.

It really is all about telling the story, isn't it?

The blond leading the blond

Today my friend Fran and I got together for a LONG overdue lunch date. Afterwards, we walked across the parking lot for a wee bit shopping. Strolling back across the parking lot, yacking as we go, we realize both our cars are MISSING. Oh crap! What to do What to do?

Initially, Fran calls her husband while I dig out my cell phone to call mine. While doing so, my mind immediately races to the "how do I pick up my kids from school, Hubby has his motorcycle, and I refuse to ride on the back" to a quick "oh, what kind of car should I get as a replacement?". Such a full blown conversation goes on in my brain in a matter of seconds. Some folks see their lives flash before them in a moment of panic and crisis. Nope. I saw an assortment of really pretty mini-SUVs in my mental image. Most were silver by the way and had that Mercedes star on the hood!

When suddenly Fran looks up from her call and said "it would help if we were standing in front of the RIGHT restaurant, wouldn't it?"

I belly laughed till well, I almost had a moment of incontinence to go with my senior moment.
Good fun, good times and most importantly, shared with a truly good forever friend!

Random Thoughts

• Some people get a neighbor like Matthew McConaughey playing bongos in his birthday suit. I sadly get ugly Aussie man sitting outside all morning long reading his paper in nothing but his underwear. Eeeewwww...where is the justice in that? (no, you pervs, I'm not taking a picture. Trust me, he's ugly and whether it is boxers or two sizes too small bike shorts, he shouldn't be a distraction from my lovely garden that my dad helped me get into its current glorious state).


• How come my kids finally get into the groove this late in the school year? Somebody has taken my usually cranky kids, and swapped them with a pair of brotherly loving fellas who gasp...are currently upstairs playing school. Homer just finished a report and the principal (Thing Two) is reading it for him. I guess because Homer is a stuffed doll (um, I mean soft toy, my boys don't play with dolls). Anyways, they both helped each other with their homework and asked to go to the library as their reward for being so cooperative. Call the Alien Hot line as these Things surely aren't MINE?


• I've had the past 2 days as pretty much wide open, free of obligation days. But where did the time go?Well, I'm caught up on laundry (Go ahead, call me a naughty name, I can handle it), I've filed months of backlogged invoices and even finished up the online continuing ed. class I need for my part time gig at the school. The floors are either swept/vacuumed/mopped or some combination of the above. 3 of the 4 bathrooms got a good scrubbing. The lawn got mowed and the bank deposits made. I finished one library book (I, Mona Lisa: worth reading if you enjoy historical fiction. Imagine the possibilities of who Mona Lisa really was?) and am well on my way to enjoying another book (Queen of the Big Time, it has been on my bedside table for months).

Oh forget about aliens taking over my children, I think I've been swapped out for a real Martha! Call the authorities if I start making pies from scratch, OK?

Maybe I"m not so difficult to please after all..

I just got back from a meeting at the school. And for a change, I was the happy one. Maybe I'm still riding high on the truth that my oldest is certified proficient in his reading. Who knows: but come on ladies, lighten up! Our school is good, the teachers are excellent, the administration responds appropriately to legitimate concerns. Change takes time. Scores can be lower: and guess what, sometimes it is just that, a low score. Free/reduced lunch doesn't tell the whole story.

The way I see it, the teacher can do an awesome job of teaching. She can use every strategy in the world to inspire/motivate/ and encourage that child to learn. But if there isn't support at home, or at least respect for what goes on at school, then we really aren't going to see Johnny reach his fullest potential. It takes a team approach, and trust me, I've hung out with educators enough to realize, they aren't always the one dropping the ball. Now, why couldn't I tell that to the busy body women at the meeting?

Great Sand Dunes

We're home from our weekend adventure. Had a grand time. The dunes are something everyone in Colorado should take time to check out. Stuck in the middle of nowhere are the highest sand dunes in North America. And yes, they are nothing but huge piles of sand. And yes, we ended up with sand in places where it doesn't belong (Aimee, you might want to skip this destination for this fact alone). And although the idea of sledding down the dunes sounds like fun, it is impossible with the saucer like sleds we took. Instead, take one of those lightweight foamy things. Folks seemed to have better luck sledding with the lighter weight variety of sleds.

The older the boys get, the easier weekend trips get. They did great on the 4 hr drive down to Alamosa. At times they both really seemed to appreciate the greatness of these dunes. At least Thing Two tried hard. He and Hubby climbed up almost to the top. Thing One and I wimped out about half way up.

But now, here it is Monday evening (feels like Sunday, doesn't it?) and I'm wondering where did the long weekend fly to? Mountains of sandy laundry await me as I face the reality of school and work starting back up tomorrow. Yet again, I'm proving that there really is no making me happy is there? I take that back: spending time with the guys in my life made me pretty darn happy. There is always tomorrow to tend to the chores of the day!

Before any nagging starts

I'm updating the blog. We're heading out of town tomorrow for a weekend away. Not sure if/when I'll update so here it is. A post about nothing.

I survived my day with the kindergartners. They mature so much over the year, don't they? Like no other grade it seems. It was sort of a sad day as one of the tracks finished up for the year. I SOOOOO wanted to be done like they were. Oh well, the flip side is they start back up 3 weeks before we do so I guess it all works out in the end.

The neighborhood pool opens tomorrow which will make the homework routine all that more difficult. I'm done, Thing One is done, just wondering when his teacher will be done? Gotta love her for the consistency but at the same time...can't we just go into coast mode on the homework at least?

Whine Whine Whine...what I seem to do best.

The more I stay home..

the more I want to be home. These past couple of weeks, the enrollment at work has been low enough that I've not had to work. But today, I'm working with the kindergartners. Subbing for another person who had a "use or lose" day of vacation.

I'll be fine once I get there...but I really would rather stay home. Get ready for our weekend adventure. work on a couple projects stacked up in the craft room. Basically, stuff I could have/should have done all week but now that I can't do them today, I'm all grouchy about not being home.

Just another proof that there really is no making me happy!

Are we there yet?

I interrupt this regularly posting blog to whine...

Can you believe there are 4 plus weeks of school still left in the year?
I'm done, as are the Things. We're ready for some summer fun, letting go of the routine that comes with school days. I'm tired of asking "what do you want for breakfast?" immediately followed by the "who wants school lunch". I'd rather just savor that morning cup of joe and let the day unfold at a more leisurely pace. I'm tired of making sure that backpacks are where they should be, socks are on, and teeth brushed. I'm just plain tired of it all.

See, some things you just never outgrow...the need to holler "are we there yet?"

Now, back to Mommy mode "Oh shut up and eat your breakfast, you are going to be late!"

Challenged to Love and Hate?

This week's challenge asks us to use our senses to love and hate. I made the mistake of reading someone else's responses before I did this which means I'm still thinking about her list and not mine. But, I'll give it a shot.

LOVE

• ....The sight of a thunderstorm rolling in from the west (assuming I'm tucked in safely in my own home).
• ....The smell of Yankee Candle's Coming Home scent burning in the kitchen
• ....The taste of perfectly made creme brule (it was initially my hubby's favorite dessert, now I share it as my favorite too)
• .....The sound of my husband's laugh
• .....The feel of grass on my bare feet

HATE

• ....The sight of someone hurting a child, through words, actions or even just plain neglect
• ....The smell of burnt microwaved popcorn (come on, if you can't pop it and watch it, then don't pop it. Spare us all the misery, ok?)
• ....The taste of sadly many things (I'm told I am a picky eater) but if I had to pick one thing it would be coconut
• .....The sound of my boys fighting with each other (which I hear a bit too often sometimes)
• .....The feel of itchy, scratchy wool (and to think my dear grandmother made some beautiful woolen items but they would just itch like crazy)

Try not to blink

It all goes so fast sometimes. I've told this to new moms. Experienced moms told this to me when mine were little. And no truer words have been spoken. Slow down. Cherish the moment. Because it all does pass in the blink of an eye.

This evening we celebrated as our best friends middle daughter headed out for the prom. It is all but impossible to not play the "I remember when" game as you watch these young children morph into young ladies and before you know it, young adults.

Yep, try not to blink...it goes oh so quickly...

here's just a sampling of what events I might have missed this week alone. Photos, blogs, scrapbooking will all hopefully help me stay in the moment and cherish these very happy times. So that I'll always be able to remember when!

That's how rumors get started

Last night the coven convened for an evening of scrapbooking. Ok, so only one person scrapped while the rest of us yapped. Oh wait, another person made a more honest attempt at crafting. (but I can't hot link her because she doesn't blog, yet).

Over the course of the evening it was discovered that a family in the neighborhood is getting a divorce. For a change, I don't know these people. Recognize the name but if I were standing behind either one in line at the store, I'd not recognize them. This truth alone is upsetting to me, the one who likes to be in the know.

We theorized on why. One theory involved closets and repressed identities.
We cackled like the hens that we are. When non-blogging friend chimes in with a "but he's involved in scouts!"

Lessons learned: Chardonnay is a delicious way to wind down from a cranky day, but it does get in the way of creative scrapbooking. However, it does not impact the ability to start rumors with absolutely no merit.

Get a life

That's my new mantra. I've always been quick to fling this comment at others. But this time, it is me that needs to take my own advice. Find real things to fret and obsess about. Not worry about whether Sarah on CSI will be alive when they finally find her or applaud Dr. Burke for his wedding day actions. While wondering where did he go and are he and George going off together? (wouldn't that be quite the Desperate Housewife-style twist...send both of them into the closet together?)

Oh well, at least with all these Season finales airing, maybe I"ll be able to find some motivation to get some reading done. Or chores. Or scrapbooking

Pretty much anything other than obsessing and fretting about the little things in life that really are rather little..

.

He's proficient!

And I've got the document from the state to prove it! We received Thing One's first official state mandated CSAP score in reading today. He scored in the proficient range which thrills me to no end! Oh sure, that little bit of competitive mommy that we all harbor hoped to see a higher score. I mean come on, he's always been a good reader.

But given his nature and his disinterest in standardized tests, I'm very pleased with the results. This is the kid that would get 1/2 way through something and say "I'm outta here" and leave the rest blank because he knows the rest of the test is just more of the same. Or, he'd announce he's too tired to finish and would just scribble in whatever bubble he thought looked the most in need of some pencil attention.

These results show me that he's starting to understand the importance of doing your best. And that alone is a HUGE change for him.

Way to go dude! We're so proud of you...even before the state told us you were average.

Happy Syttende Mai!

any guesses on what this day is?

No fair Laura, you can't play along..

Not ours, but theirs. We celebrate ours in July.

In a land where royalty is a class act! I mean come on, they named their princess after me! (seriously, she was born after I was, and her first and middle name is the same as mine!).

Are we getting any closer?

Give up? Norwegian Independence Day! So, go eat some lefse, but pass on the Lutefisk!