The Little Things in Life...

Tall and Smiling

2012-01-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I attended the funeral of one the best men I've ever had the honor of knowing.

I met Mr. Al Fikse just before the start of my senior year of high school. That was when I got hired at Light & Life Christian School as an after school daycare assistant. I heard about the job opening because my little brother and sister were students at the school.

I don't remember much about the whole process of being hired... just that I applied, waited a day or two, and received the call that I got the job. I figure my application must have had that "WOW" factor because I don't remember being interviewed for the job. Or, maybe I did and I just forgot (it was a long time ago, after all).

As a daycare assistant, part of my work duty included waiting with students on the playground as they got picked up by their parents. Those who weren't picked up by 3:15, got a check mark next to their name to indicate that they would be staying on daycare. At 3:15, my job was to watch the students on the playground... along with about four other daycare assistants.

My first day on the job, I remember seeing this tall man on the campus. He seemed to know every student and parent. He looked like he belonged there, so I figured he did. I'm just smart like that. I learned later that afternoon that the tall man was Mr. Fikse, the principal of the school.

Principal? This smiling, engaging man was the principal? I thought a principal came into this world wearing a stern, disapproving facial expression and harboring an aloof personality. I was a good kid and never got in trouble at school, but my seventeen year old mind was programmed to view principals through leery lenses.

While my first couple weeks at Light & Life passed by in a blur, one memory stands out very clearly in my mind:

I was holding one end of a jump rope while several children were taking turns practicing their moves. Mr. Fikse was on the playground, as he often was. He happened to be passing by as I was saying to one of the students, "Wow! Good job!" Mr. Fikse stopped and said to me, "I like that you are so encouraging to the kids. Keep up the good work." (Or something along those lines).

For some reason, those words meant so much to me. It's as if what he said bounced around in my head like a little rubber ball in a small, four-walled room. From that day on, when I would see a student who looked as if he/she needed some encouragement -boing!- that ball would smack me on the neocortex and Mr. Fikse's words inspired me to take action. When I doubted my ability to do my job well -bonk!- Mr. Fikse's words encouraged me.

Of course, I had many interactions with Mr. Fikse in the ensuing years... many of which were equally uplifting. I think this memory is clear to me after all these years because it sums up so much of how he was. It didn't matter how busy he was, he took the time to offer encouragement. He cared about his students. He cared about his staff. He saw the good in people. He made people want to be better.

When I think of Mr. Fikse, I always see him as I saw him on that first day- tall and smiling.

What I'm NOT Doing

2010-07-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

Today is just too darn hot to want to do much! I have so many things I should be doing... such as:

Washing Dishes

Emptying the Dishwasher

Decluttering the Kitchen Counters

Straightening Up the Family Room

Straightening Up the Living Room

Washing Clothes

Getting Andrew's Bed Made

Burning Calories

Doing My Summer School Homework

Or Even Making My Toes Look Pretty

But I'm not doing these things... instead I'm doing this:

Treasure Isle

Farmville

FrontierVille

Oh, Motivation, wherefore art thou?

Blogging, Honesty, and Crickets- Oh My!

2010-07-12T21:25:00.000-07:00

The problem with coming back to blogging after being gone for so long is that I have so much to write about and can't figure out where to start. Then there is always the little voice in my head that says:

"Who cares, anyway? Nobody probably even reads your blog... can't you hear those crickets chirping in the background?"
I do hear crickets right now but I'm pretty sure they are coming from outside our open sliding glass door. I hope. Maybe I should close the window and see if I still hear them...

Then, I have to question why I even want to write a blog.

Do I do it for myself... sort of like a diary or a journal? Heck, no! I have never believed in journals/diaries. My fear of having my deepest thoughts and secrets forever documented via the written word has kept me from falling victim to that weapon-of-self-destruction.
Do I do it because I want to keep my family and friends up-to-date on what the Jones' are up to? Nah... my family is pretty boring.
Do I keep a blog because I am egotistical enough to think that my ~~profane~~ profound thoughts and words will enrich the lives of anyone who happens to read it? Yes. I think that's it. It's not that I think I have much to offer. In fact, I think it's because I don't have a lot to offer that makes me feel eligible to offer what I do have.

In other words, I have always viewed my blog as an opportunity to be transparent. I am a transparent person in real life and I feel very strongly that we need to be transparent with each other. I like people to be real. I like people who can admit that they are not perfect. I like people who aren't afraid to let their friends see their weaknesses. I like people who can laugh at themselves.

I have had friends who are real... and I have had friends who wear their "my life is perfect" face all the time. I prefer to be around my friends who are "real". I like to know that I am not the only one who has a huge pile of clean laundry in their family room... that I am not the only one who sometimes gets too lazy to be consistent in disciplining their children... that I'm not the only one who resents their husband for hogging the TV remote.

I blog because I hope to make other people/women/wives/mommies feel like they are not alone. If you really are perfect and have the perfect family & life, this blog is not for you. Move on to the blog written by that chick who makes her own bio-degradable diapers while homeschooling six obedient children who are fed only home-grown, organic vegetables and still has time to keep her house clean and her husband satisfied. I'm sure she exists somewhere.

Wow! For not knowing where to start (again), I sure have said a lot!

Something... and More

2010-07-11T23:23:00.000-07:00

Something
OK... I finally decided on a new (and hopefully matching) header for my blog. Now that that's done, I feel obligated to write something. So, here we go...

Something.

Ha ha ha! I crack myself up sometimes! I am my own entertainment.

WOW!
On a serious note, I just have to hand out a kudos for my friend/ fellow blogger, Sarah. I saw Sarah at church today and noticed that something was drastically different about her.

Before I go on, let me explain that I am the most unobservant person I know. Really!
Case in points:

I used to work at a bank and had to identify a check forger who cashed a $6,000 check at my teller station. The only thing I could remember about the guy is that he had brown hair. Yes... very helpful.
It takes several times for me to see someone before I recognize them. It's embarrassing and makes me feel like an idiot.
I can look at my husband as he leaves for work and one minute later could not tell you what he was wearing.
My friend, Lois, redecorated her entire living room... complete with new paint color and handmade window treatments. I didn't even notice until she told me!

In short, something has to be really different before I will notice any type of change. Which brings me back to Sarah...

Sarah has always been a beautiful lady, blessed with height and nice bone structure. Today I also noticed that my sweet church friend was skinny! She has never been overly-heavy in my mind but today's Sarah was sporting a fabulous figure. I mentioned how great she looks and she told me she lost 55 pounds. That's right, 55 pounds!

How does someone do that?! I have been trying to lose a measly 10 pounds and it feels like an impossible goal. Sarah is an inspiration! If she can lose that much weight- she has four kids, by the way- then I have no excuse to keep that disgusting extra 10 pounds around my middle.

Sarah, I don't know if you are reading this, but I just want to congratulate you and let you know that you are my inspiration. You inspire to perspire. Keep up the awesome work, beautiful lady, you rock!!

Just About the Most Important Blog You'll Ever Read

2010-07-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

My, How Time Does Fly!
It's been a while since I've posted anything on this blog. And by a "while" I mean months and months. I'm back. Again.

Ch-ch-ch-changes
I like the new template options for Blogger... very, very cool. Now my header picture that I worked so hard on doesn't look right. Sigh... time to get my creative juices flowing and make another one.

Tab Envy
I want tabs on my blog. Why? Just because they would make my blog look cool. Really cool. And important... like I have so much to offer the world via my ramblings. If you know how to do tabs, will you please let me know? Otherwise I am going to have to research it myself and since I need to make a new banner for the top of this blog, I'm going to be a little busy for a while.

That's All, Folks
Gotta go! Laundry awaits.

Random Ramblings

2009-10-24T00:23:00.000-07:00

Confession

OK... I admit it... I lied about posting the rest of my family tree blog the "next day". The thing is, I'm still doing my research and my family tree is probably not interesting to anyone else but me. I'm sure I'll blog about the subject again, but I've got to get my mind organized first. It's amazing how many branches diverge off of one tree trunk... I can hardly keep track of who is who in my family anymore.

My Cat

We got our kitten a few weeks ago. She is adorable! She is also, I'm noticing, a bit mentally-challenged. The first time she saw herself in our full-length mirror and attacked the "other cat" in the reflection was cute and funny. Well, she is still attacking herself. And by "attack", I mean full-on, high-speed, battering-ram, flying into the mirror cat-fight! It's still funny. It's not so cute anymore. I worry she is going to shatter the mirror with her head!

She can also be found chasing her tail... while trying to balance on the top of a chair back. This usually results in a nasty spill. She has fallen into the water-filled bathtub a few times, much to the boys' delight. She likes to lick. She especially likes to lick my legs after I go for a long, sweaty run.

Speaking of Run

I went for a great run today! I went longer than I had planned but it was worth it. I discovered some new trails and the weather couldn't have been better. My heel has been bothering me (I have a bone spur in my heel) but I've decided that I might as well get used to it. I've had physical therapy and a cortisone shot and neither has completely taken away the pain. It's sort of a trade-off... my heel hurts when I run but the rest of me hurts when I don't. So, I guess I'll run.

Virtually Me

I love Facebook. Where else can you become "friends" with people who hardly gave you the time of day in high school? Where else can you connect with people who actually live only a few doors down from you? For a phone-hating, verbally-challenged individual like me, Facebook is a social paradise. If only I could include my Facebook life on my job resumes! Who wouldn't want to hire someone with the following qualifications?

Voted "Nicest Person" -by people who don't really know me- several days in a row
Successful farm owner who took a small, four-plot farm and turned it into a thriving business worth millions of "coins"
Winner of numerous Bake-Offs in the town of YoVille
Supporter of and participant in several worthy committees, such as "We Hate the New Facebook Home Page", "Six Degrees of Separation", and "I Don't Care How Comfortable Crocs are, You Look Like a Dumbass"

It takes a lot of time to have such a successful Facebook life!

So, yesterday I decided to quit two of my three Facebook farms. I gave away all my Yoville merchandise to a friend and will move out totally once all my cakes have finished baking. I purged myself of my Roller Coaster Kingdom and got rid of my aquarium. And you know what? It felt good! I only have one farm now and it has no crops so all I have to do is water my flowers and I'm free.

Insomnia?

I don't have it. Good night!

Messed-Up Families Have Trees, Too

2009-10-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

This has the potential to turn into a long blog. I'll do my best to keep it from turning into a long story turned longer... but I do need to include some personal history, so please bear with me.

What I'm Doing
For the past week, I have been trying to research my family ancestry. No, I haven't converted to Mormonism... although, I do appreciate their excellent family-record keeping skills. There are reasons for doing this and reasons for not having done it before.

Why am I Doing This?
As I was lying in bed last Sunday, unsuccessfully fighting off the onset of a cold, I saw a news report about a group of Cherokee Indians in San Diego County getting together for the day to celebrate their culture. This caught my attention because, supposedly, I have a small amount of Cherokee blood running through my veins. It also occurred to me that I have no proof of this Native American ancestry. So, I figured I might as well try to find it.

What Makes this a Difficult Task?
Here is where the story has the potential to get overly long. I come from a pretty messed-up family. Basically, I don't know most of my family. I haven't seen my biological mom in over 30 years... I don't associate with any of my living grandparents because my two grandmothers are not very nice people.

I have four full-blooded siblings. I have relationships with none of them. I have a half-brother and a half-sister and they are awesome, so we are pretty close. I have some uncles, aunts, and cousins but I don't really know them because they live in other states.

I pretty much grew up with my Dad and my Stepmom. I know I can get some information about my Dad's side of the family... but even that will be scarce, due to fact that my Dad didn't even really know his dad. Heck, the last name I grew up with isn't even my Dad's real last name- the story is my Dad took the last name of his favorite step dad (my grandmother was married five times).

Thanks to a kind step-grandfather I never met, my maiden name was Kish. This is apparently a common Hungarian name. I am zero percent Hungarian. I dated a guy who was Hungarian once but that's as close as I ever came to being one. I've never felt any attachment to that name... I felt no remorse when I became a Jones on my wedding day. Besides, nobody could ever pronounce or spell it. It's just not that hard, people!

Get Out the Violins...
I'm just kidding... leave them in their cases. I really dislike pity and I don't want it but I'm going to tell you all something sort of sad about me. Growing up, I never really felt like I belonged to a family. There I said it. Now, wipe your eyes and read on. I always felt like I was on the peripheral of someone else's family... sort of able to be a part but never feeling totally connected.

I'm sure I am totally messed-up now as a result. I mean, this has got to be the reason I can never seem to get the clean laundry put away. Right? Go along with it, folks... I need an excuse.

Cliff-hanger
I'm going to finish this tomorrow. I'm tired and I'm still trying to get over this cold so I'm off to bed. If you are still reading this, thanks for hanging in with me. I still have lots to tell about my search for a familial identity... including a trip to a cemetery, walks down memory lane, and lots and lots of time spent on the computer.

Meanwhile, please enjoy this picture of the bottom of my shoe.

It's Official- Fall is Here!

2009-10-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the way the air feels as the summer heat gradually surrenders to the cooler temperatures of autumn. It is bliss to have to pull the bed covers up to my neck in the early morning hours when the chill settles into our bedroom. What a perfect setting for sleeping in (if only I could).

I love the anticipation of the coming holidays... Halloween and visits to the pumpkin patch, candy corn, apple cider, and trick-or-treating. Thanksgiving and family, turkey, pumpkin pie, and stuffing. Christmas and... oh, better not go there. Yet.

So, what happens when the arrival of my favorite season is combined with my favorite grocery store? Autumnal enlightenment. Since most of Southern California isn't blessed with the stereotypical signal of fall's arrival, I have to rely on Trader Joe's to announce that, in spite of the non-changing color of the trees, summer is gone and autumn has taken its place.

Sure, there may be a change in the temperature and the days may become noticeably shorter, but when Trader Joe's displays its annual giant logo-pumpkin and has orange and yellow geraniums for sale, I sense a change in the air... fall is here.

For the past few years (since they opened our neighborhood Trader Joe's) I have found that- for me- autumn officially begins once I can purchase Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread Mix. I went to Trader Joe's yesterday, hoping to get my hands on a couple boxes but they were all out. I found out from one of the helpful employees that they were getting another shipment in that night.

There was no question in my mind... I would be back at Trader Joe's the next morning to get my pumpkin bread fix.

And that's what I did. I picked up two boxes of the pumpkin bread mix... along with a box of their new apple spice bread mix, a box of pumpkin pancake mix, and a bottle of apple cider.

I baked the apple bread tonight. It was a hit with the entire family and it left the house smelling the way a Norman Rockwell painting looks: Homey, warm, and simple.

I have not tried the pumpkin pancake mix (I think it's a new item) but I've been assured by a reliable source that it is "rather yummy". I think pumpkin pancakes will be on our morning menu within the next few days.

I am happy that fall is here. I will savor it. I will enjoy being able to wear a sweatshirt. I will look forward to the holidays and all my beloved family traditions associated with each.

I will enjoy this short period of time... because I know that in about a month, my signal that Christmas is on its way will arrive at every Starbucks in the nation in the form of a caloric little beauty known as the Egg Nog Latte. Mmmmmm...

Oreolicious

2009-10-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

Right now, I should be cooking dinner. Heck, I'd be happy to even know what we're having for dinner!

Am I the only one who gets tired of planning meals? I just cooked dinner yesterday. Maybe I should give the boys Double Stuff Oreo Cookies for dinner. With a glass of milk, it would be a healthy meal... and I can guarantee there would be no complaining.

Just a thought.

High Tech Treasure Hunting

2009-09-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, when Matt first expressed an interest in geocaching, I'm pretty sure I responded with a blank stare. Geocaching? I had heard the word before but had no idea what it was.

Am I the only person under the age of 67 who did not know what geocaching is? Since I am hoping I'm not the only one who needed an explanation, I'm going to explain it to you. If you are more "hip" than I am (and who isn't?), please bear with me... or rather, bear with Wikipedia:

Geocaching is an outdoor activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container (usually a tupperware or ammo box) containing a logbook. Larger containers can also contain items for trading, usually toys or trinkets of little value. Geocaching is most often described as a "game of high-tech hide and seek", sharing many aspects with orienteering, treasure-hunting, and waymarking. (GPS)

Geocaches are currently placed in over 100 countries around the world and on all seven continents, including Antarctica.^[1] As of September 20 2009, there are over 904,000 active geocaches over the world.

-Stolen from Wikipedia

Now that you know everything there is to know about geocaching, I can finish this blog. Matt and I took the boys geocaching on Friday afternoon. Matt had gone with the boys on Thursday, but this was my first time. I had a great time, in spite of the heat. The boys had tons of fun. I think Matt had the most fun of all of us (that's probably because he got to hold the GPS thing).

We didn't even have to go far to have a fun adventure. Matt found out there were a few caches hidden at Kit Carson Park and off we went. I figured it would be an easy excursion but I was wrong. We stomped through brush, wound our way down coyote trails, barely missed angering a nest of wasps, saw a baby rattlesnake, and all ended up exhausted. I've seen parts of Kit Carson Park I never knew existed.

We found a total of three caches that day. We looked for five but two were impossible to find in all the dense brush and trees. The funniest one was hidden in the base of a lamp post in the parking lot by the soccer field. In the collage above, you can see Matt holding a small, black disk... that is what was hidden in the base of the lamp post.

The best cache was hidden on an obscure trail. We found it at the base of a tree, near where we saw the baby rattlesnake. In this cache, there were fun little toys for the boys. Per geocaching etiquette, we replaced what we took with our own little toys.

By the time we found that cache, we were all tired, thirsty, dirty, and ready to call it a day. The boys did very well, considering the amount of walking we did. I'm so glad Matt thought to start geocaching. I think we have found a fun family hobby that will keep us active and having fun together.

Toxic People

2009-09-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I did not coin the term "Toxic People"... I don't recall hearing it before, but it must have been engraved in my subconscious from somewhere. It's far too good for me to have come up with it myself.

Toxic People
I bet everyone has at least one of these people in their life. Some of us have an abundance of them. These are the people who thrive on negativity. The people who love to cause rifts between others. Toxic people do not rejoice when good things happen to others. Instead, they wonder, "Why couldn't that happen to me?" They spoil joyful moments by expressing their own misery. These are the people who talk about others when they aren't around... including you. Toxic people love to be the victim- that allows them to blame others for their lot in life.

It's not always easy to identify a toxic person right away. They don't walk around with the skull and crossbones symbol on their forehead. They don't come with a warning label. They often look like the rest of us... after all, nobody is happy and perfect all the time!

Toxic people become very apparent over time. They usually leave you feeling drained, stressed, used, and generally unhappy. You might think you're helping them, but in reality you're harming yourself and your relationships with those who love you. This is because toxic people suck the joy out of you.

Do you have a toxic person in your life? Perhaps she is an acquaintance. Maybe she is a friend. If you're like me, your toxic person is a family member. Actually, I have several toxic family members but most of them leave me alone.

Here's the thing: I have learned the hard way to keep toxic people- even family members out of my life. Life is too short and precious to spend it griping, complaining, and comparing misery. This may seem harsh... especially when it's family. If it's harsh, I don't care. My own little family is my priority. Anyone who tries to steal my joy, causes friction and stress in my life, or brings me down will not be part of my world.

This post came about because I heard from one of my toxic family members today, who called for the sole purpose of telling me off. I'm just using this blog to vent, I guess. Thanks for letting me get it out.

Mommy, the Black Widow Slayer

2009-09-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

I am going to hate writing this blog but I feel like it needs to be done... regardless of how heevie-jeevie it makes me feel.

Let me start by declaring that I really dislike black widow spiders. When I say "dislike", I mean hate, despise, abhor, loathe, and detest black widows. I've never liked them but it seems like my hatred and fear of them has grown over the past few years. Actually, it's no coincidence that my black widow hatred has grown since we moved into our current house.

I'm pretty sure our house was built on the Mecca for black widows. Each spring, they make their pilgrimage to our backyard and set up permanent homes. They party, have spider sex, kill their partners, and lay eggs. Lots and lots of eggs. In egg sacs. Lots of disgusting eggs in lots of disgusting egg sacs.

We rarely see the egg sacs but we know they're there because a few weeks later, those eggs hatch and out come the baby black widows. Fortunately, many of them don't survive the hatching process because they eat each other. I guess the ones that survive are the ones that a) float away in the breeze to another part of our yard; or b) do the eating.

When Matt and I first moved into our house, we kept noticing these little spiders in the backyard. They seemed to be everywhere in the back. They did not look like black widows... because they weren't black. Their bodies were usually shaped like black widows, though, so we took a closer look. We noticed these little grayish spiders had whiteish hour glasses on their abdomens.

We did some research and found out that the little spiders we kept seeing were baby and/or juvenile black widows. The information isn't clear regarding whether or not juvenile black widows are poisonous. Some sources say yes, and some say no. I don't intend to find out for sure the hard way so I kill any and all black widows.

In case you're wondering what newly hatched black widows look like, check out this disturbing picture.

I took the following picture yesterday. I was on a black widow spider killing spree in our backyard. This one is not a newly hatched baby. In my unscientific backyard observations, I label these the "preteen" widows.

The widow is in the center of the picture... it's that roundish grayish thing with the legs.
Sorry for the poor quality of the picture- I was high on bug spray fumes when I took it.

I am pretty sure this is an immature female black widow. The males don't usually have such round butts. Notice that she is not black. You may also notice that I found this little devil on the underside of the boys' Little Tykes Picnic Table.

Here is another one I found on the same table:

Based on its shape, this one is probably a female, too. The white stripes indicate that it is an immature spider. My label for this stage of widowhood is "Late Teen". She's almost grown up, she just needs to get rid of those stripes and she's a full-fledged black widow.

Both of the spiders are dead now... along with about 11 of their friends. I mostly find juvenile black widows in our yard but when I do find the full-fledged black widow, I am always happy to kill them with a little extra "umph". My weapons of choice are bug spray and a croquet mallet.

Here are some black widow spider facts:

The males are not poisonous
The males are smaller than the females
The females don't always eat the males after they mate- it depends on how hungry they are.
Females can live up to three years
Egg sacs can hold between 250-700 eggs

If I seem obsessed with black widows, it's probably because I am. They both horrify and intrigue me. They mostly horrify me. I've always believed that in order to appreciate something, you need to learn about it. This may be true in many cases, but I've learned more about black widows than I ever wanted to and I only hate them more.

I dream of one day living in a place where there are no black widows. A place where my boys can go out back to play without me having to do a spider check first. A place where we can have spider-free outside toys and play structures. A place where I don't need to shake, stomp on, and turn inside-out my garden gloves before I put them on.

I know there are dangerous creatures in every place. But believe me when I say I would take rattlesnakes, coyotes, bats, chiggers (whatever those are), ticks, scorpions, and rabid bunnies over black widows, any day!

By the way... I know some of you are thinking, "Why don't you hire a pest control person to spray the backyard?" My answer to that is, "That's probably a good idea." A good idea, assuming it works better than the ant control we used to have done... until we realized we were still getting ants.

My Midlife Crisis?

2009-09-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

Midlife? Really? Well, I am **cough, cough** thirty-nine years old, and since I don't want to live to be 100, I guess that makes me pretty close to halfway through my life. But then, I could die next week. That would mean I hit midlife when I was 19 and a half. I'm not trying to be morbid... just realistic. I'm trying to make the point one never really knows when their midlife is.

So, what is midlife crisis? How do we know we're having one if we don't know when we are at the mid-point of our lives? Don't answer those questions... they're rhetorical. Everyone knows the true sign of having reached midlife is the sudden urge to buy a shiny, new sports car. That's a given.

Me? While it's true I would commit a number of crimes in order to own a restored 1967 Mustang, I don't think that has anything to do with my own midlife. I've wanted one of those since I was 19 and a half. Oh...uh...hmmmm... Note to self: Don't leave the house next week.

Here's my crisis, midlife-related or not:

I need something. I don't know what it is, exactly. I just know I need something different... something adventurous... something challenging... something mentally and physically stimulating. I'm not content staying home, doing the same thing... day in and day out. I'm tired of the same routine everyday.

I'm... I'm... bored!

There. I said it. Let the judging begin. Go ahead, I'm used to it. I judge myself harshly all the time. Every good Christian woman knows we are supposed to be content... some would even say we should be "happy" all the time. It must be my fault that I'm not content. Maybe I don't pray enough. Maybe I don't read my Bible enough. Maybe I'm just not "spiritual" enough.

Maybe if I were more like that Proverbs 31 woman, I'd be content. Want to know a little secret? Don't tell anyone, but I hate that chick.

So, what do I do? I was happy and content while I was training for my marathon. Now it's done and I'm bored again. So, why not train for another one? Maybe that would take away the boredom. I still love and need running but I've had to cut way back since my injuries threw me a curve ball. And, for some reason, it just doesn't have the same novelty to it anymore.

Maybe I should get a job. Hey! Great idea! Oh wait, what do I do with my young children? I refuse to hand them over to a daycare situation if I can help it... been there and done that. Yes, I could work somewhere where the hours are the same as my kids... but what kind of job is that? Working with kids. I'm tired of kids. I want something different, remember?

I've always thrived on change. I love change! If I could have it my way, we'd move every couple years... different houses, different cities, different states. I don't know if the upheaval and chaos caused by change boosts my adrenaline, or what. I just know I've always needed change. In my adult life I've changed majors, I've changed college jobs, I've changed friends, I've changed careers, I try to change my hair often (but it always looks the same).

I also love adventure. I want to do something dangerous enough to scare me but not dangerous enough to kill me. I want to see how far I can push my body.

I want challenge. Something that stretches my mental capacity. There are only so many times I can hear about Sponge Bob and Patrick before my brain starts to shrink and get soft. And believe me, I know a lot about Sponge Bob... too much! Scary.

So, what do I do? Climb Mount Everest? Go back to school and study criminal psychology? Train for a triathlon? Race car driving? Throw a rock into a hive of killer bees and run?

I can hear the imaginary "church ladies" telling me to:

Enjoy this time, kids grow too quickly. Yes, I know that and I agree. My kids are NOT the source of my discontent... I just want to supplement my life with something besides kids.

Find a group of women to meet with, to share your lives and experiences. Nice thought... but there are very few women I really bond with. Being in a group of women for too long makes me want to crawl into a hole and hide. Truth is, I like men. I prefer to hang out with men... but since I'm married, I can't really do that anymore.

Take up a hobby or a craft. I DESPISE crafts of all kinds. In fact, I think I have craft-phobia... I break out in a cold sweat whenever I am forced to do a craft.

I don't know what I will do about this supposed midlife crisis. I do know that, now that I've identified it, I feel better. It's just a matter of figuring out something new to do... something that challenges me, stretches me, scares me, pushes me, and creates a certain level of havoc in my life.

Stay tuned... I'll let you know, once I figure it out!

The Newest Member of Our Family

2009-09-18T22:03:00.000-07:00

The Jones family has a new little bundle of joy! A furry, purry, playful bundle of joy. Her name is Cleopatra and she is eight weeks old. We don't usually call her by her full name. Cleo is the name we use most often.

I haven't had a baby kitten since before I was married. I forgot how little and roly-poly they are. After we lost Peanut, the boys wanted to get another kitty... and I didn't need much convincing. I decided that instead of getting a grown or juvenile cat, we would get a baby. That way we would know the history of the cat and hopefully train the kitty to be an indoor-only cat.

This time around, I am trying something new. I have decided to try out a raw-foods diet for Cleo. In other words, no processed foods. Right now, I have her on a diet of raw chicken and beef. The bags of frozen meat are available at a local pet supply store. Initially the cost is more than the bags of non-specialized dry food that are available at Target.

I'm finding, however, that I do not need to give her much food. I feed her in the morning, a little around lunch, and again at dinner. The difference is that the food doesn't sit around all day in the bowl so the cat doesn't nibble all day. I used to throw half-full bowls of bagged cat food away when we had Peanut. The food would get yucky after a while.

I've been told that a diet of raw food also reduces veterinarian bills. I've also noticed that Cleo's poop doesn't smell as bad as other cat poop I've had to smell. Mostly, it just makes sense that cats should eat meat. They are carnivores.

Cleo is a cutie! I am so glad I went with my gut instinct and insisted on a baby kitty with lots of fur. I love furry kitties. The boys love her and laugh at her antics. Even Matt seems smitten with her... even though he tries not to show it. Actually, I think she likes Matt the best. She follows him around and plays at his feet while he plays the guitar.

Peanut
We miss Peanut and will always laugh about the cat who used to drink out of the toilet, tried to get in the tub with the boys, brutally killed lizards, and liked to attack our feet at night. I know Peanut had a happy life with us, even though it was too short. Rest in Peace, Peanut.

Of Coyotes and Insurance Companies

2009-09-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since my last post! I meant to keep this blog more up-to-date but have obviously failed. No excuses... just busy, I suppose. So much has happened in the last few weeks, I hardly know where to start:

My seven year old started second grade.

My four year old started preschool.

Our cat, Peanut, is missing and presumably dead as a result of coyote ingestion. All that's left of our poor kitty is his blue collar and a small tuft of fur. My boys are keeping the collar to remember their first real pet. We buried the fur in the backyard and plan to hold a memorial service on Thursday. My future Donald Trump (the seven year old) wants to charge people to attend the service. I doubt anyone besides us will show up to pay their respects.

My dad, who has been has been in and out of the hospital and nursing homes over the past few months is back in the hospital again.

He started with back surgery due to a bad disk
Came home
Had a small stroke
Went back to the hospital and then to a nursing care facility
Sent home prematurely, thanks to the insurance company
Went in for another back surgery because the first one was unsuccessful
Back to the nursing care facility to recover from the surgery
Sent home prematurely... thanks, again, to the insurance company
Fell on his first day home
Called 911 (nobody else was home)
Back to the hospital
Had an MRI to make sure he didn't damage the surgical site
MRI revealed an abdominal aortic aneurysm
This is a life-threatening condition if not diagnosed before the aneurysm ruptures

Actually, it is a blessing my dad was sent home from the nursing care facility... even though we all considered it a premature move. If he had not been sent home, he would not have fallen on his way to the kitchen. If he had not fallen and been alone in the house, he would not have called the paramedics. If the paramedics had not taken him to the hospital, he would not have had the MRI. If he had not had the MRI, the abdominal aortic aneurysm may have gone undetected... until it was too late.

So, as you can see... life has been a little crazy for my family.

I hope to be more consistent once things become more routine.

Did I just write that out loud? Routine? What's that? I think Routine is somewhere under the towering stack of clean laundry that needs to be put away one of these days. If I ever do find it, I'll probably need to toss it back into the dryer for a few minutes just to get the wrinkles out! And then, it will end up back at the bottom of the pile.

And with that thought, goodnight all!

We Belong in the Zoo... The San Diego Zoo

2009-06-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since I've posted a blog on my personal and/or family blog. I've been spending so much time on my running blog, that this one has been a bit neglected.

Now that I'm done with my marathon, I hope to keep up on this blog and my blog friends more...

Needing to Get Out
I had to get out of the house yesterday! I go crazy and become borderline depressed if I'm inside too much. On a whim, I decided to pick Andrew up from school early and head on down to the San Diego Zoo. I love that place! We had so much fun!

View of SD from the Skyfari.

Cute birdie in the Aviary.

The boys loved the Skyfari... we rode it three times.

Look at that... they're posing for the camera!!

At the Children's Zoo

I forgot about the Zoo. Usually we go to the Wild Animal Park. What a great place that is!!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

How Caffeinated Are YOU?

2009-04-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

I stole this from my blogger friend, Melissa. It's funny!!

Created by OnePlusYou - *

*This little thing was created by a dating website. If you take the caffeine test, it'll ask you to sign up. Since all of my blogger friends are married, I hope you don't do that! You can skip it and get your results. :D

15 Random Facts About Nate

2009-03-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

My last blog listed 15 random facts about Andrew, my oldest...

Now it's Nate's turn:

I had given up on getting pregnant when we conceived Nate.
Nate's whole name is Nathaniel Cooper Jones. We got "Cooper" from Matt's former car- a little, red Mini Cooper.
Nate was not an easy baby. He cried a lot! A very vocal little guy.
Nate is still very vocal.
He is small in stature but big in attitude, strength, and gumption.
When he started walking, he was the same height as most of the bottoms of our window sills. He chewed the plaster off the edges of the window sills.
Nate is such an affectionate kid. He gives me kisses and hugs all the time.
He is very independent. Independent to a fault, often times. He does NOT like help doing anything and gets angry if someone offers to help him. He also gets extremely frustrated if he can't do something on his own. He gets this from his Mommy, by the way.
Nathaniel ate 'possum poop when he was about a year and a half. He found it in the back yard and put it in his mouth. I found him making a funny face, chewing on what I initially thought was mud. I called Poison Control and our doctor. He was fine.
He loves to be tickled.
Nate has always been a little snuggler. I love it!
He ought to be in gymnastics... he's very agile and has great body control. He refuses to take gymnastics, though. I hope he changes his mind some day.
My little 4-year old has sparkly eyes and it's easy to see when he is doing something naughty because of those little sparkles.
This must be some mutant gene which has skipped a few generations, but he loves to clean! Even when he was a baby, he would get obsessed by a wayward fishie cracker if one happened to fall from his highchair tray. His favorite item is his vacuum cleaner and he loves to point out cleaning products on commercials and announce that he is going to get that when he "gets bigger".
Nathaniel tries so hard to be big like his big "Bubba". He likes to "read" and "spell" things for us. Everything is spelled: mptyanpte (or some variation of those letters).

I thank You so much for this little guy, Lord. I didn't think we'd ever be blessed with another child and now I know You were waiting for this special boy to be a part of our family. He wasn't easy... still isn't... but all the things that make him difficult are also the things that make him so lovable. I love his snuggles, hugs, and kisses. Thank You for giving me someone who loves affection as much as I do.

Take his independent spirit and his quick temper and bring them under Your control. Teach him to yeild to You and to learn early to rely on You. At the same time, I know You made him with these unique characteristics for a purpose. Please use him for Your purpose, use his independent, feisty spirit for Your glory.

I love my little Nator-Gator.

15 Random Facts About Andrew

2009-03-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

I stole this idea from my friend, Sarah. She has written one of these for each of her kids (at least I think... she has been blessed with a lot of kids). :D

1. Andrew was an easy baby: He cried only when he needed to. He slept through the night at eight weeks old.

2. He never crawled. From day one, he wanted to walk. He started walking at 9 months and when he fell, he'd only fall forward... like a tree. He had lots of bumps on his forehead.

3. Andrew thinks. His brain is always mulling over something and he has a tendency to get obsessed with what he is thinking about until he satisfies his curiosity or solves his problem.

4. It seemed he would never learn to talk. When he finally did start talking at almost three, he spoke in sentences and has not stopped talking since.

5. Andrew loves science and anything science-related.

6. His room is a museum. He calls it his museum and even has a sign (made by his Auntie Sheena) for his museum door. He has fossils, stones of all kinds, plant life, Egyptian artifacts, arrowheads, coins and paper currency from lots of different countries, shells, and much more in his museum. If you visit our house, you are sure to get a guided tour.

7. My guy is a great reader!

8. His little brother calls him "Bubba".

9. Andrew hates getting his hair cut.

10. He doesn't know how to ride a bike and has no interest in learning.

11. By some fluke, Andrew is a big guy! He's the second tallest in his class and people usually think he is at least a year older than he is.

12. Though he is super smart, Andrew is a little absent-minded and spacey. It's usually funny but can also be frustrating!

13. Andrew has an amazing memory! He remembers things he sees, hears, reads, and does. He even recognizes songs that he's only heard once or twice. Unlike his Mommy, he is very observant.

14. He eats a lot.

15. Andrew has a mature sense of humor. He says witty things that often catch me off-guard and make me laugh.

I love my Andrew. I love his kind and gentle spirit. In so many ways, he is like his Daddy. In some ways, he is like me. In a few ways, he is like his name-sake... Uncle Andrew. In every other way, he is like nobody else I know.

I pray he will grow to love and know the Lord. I pray my thinker will evaluate God's Word and find it to be the Truth. It's my prayer that his kind and gentle spirit will show God's love to those around him. I thank God for his health and that he is a part of our family. My Andrew is a special guy... a little quirky but amazing! Lord, please use these traits for Your glory.

Playing Tooth Fairy

2009-03-06T21:54:00.000-08:00

Andrew lost his FIRST tooth on Tuesday. That's the tooth in his hand. He was so excited, he even let me take pictures of him sporting his newly-gapped smile!

My Boy is Growing Up... That means I Must Be Too

I had fun being the tooth fairy. It was fun to carry on a tradition I enjoyed as a child. Something occurred to me that night as I got take part in such an important milestone in Andrew's life. It was sort of an epiphany, I guess...

I've been a Mommy for over six years but often don't feel like much of a grown-up, myself. There are moments, however, in my Mommyhood when I feel like a grown-up... like a parent. For example, the first time I had to fight the school traffic jam in order to drop my son off at school~ it felt like such a grown-up thing to do.

Playing Tooth Fairy made me feel like that too. As I quietly exchanged my son's tooth for a 1974 Silver Dollar, I felt mature. I felt responsible. I felt like a parent. I felt like MY parents! I think those are the times when I truly feel grown-up... when I find myself doing some of the things my own parents did for me.

Now, before you call CPS and report me as an admittedly irresponsible parent (except for the times when I get to fight school traffic or get to be the Tooth Fairy), let me explain that I am a grown-up and I usually act like one. I just don't usually feel like one. I like it that way.

Andrew was pretending to be asleep for this picture.

Ha ha... I don't think the Tooth Fairy will fall for that.

Marathon Training Update

2009-01-30T07:57:00.000-08:00

I just want to update anyone reading this on my how my marathon training is going- in short, it's going great! I'm starting to love running and especially love the fact that I can see progress every time I run. Tomorrow (Saturday), my training group has a six-mile run planned. I'm both nervous about it and excited.

I don't know why I started this venture... or why the desire to run 26.2 miles stays with me... but I'm glad I'm doing this!

For detailed updates, check out my running blog- Rookie on the Run. I changed the name of it, by the way... too many "Marathon Mamas" out there. :D

Nate's Birthday Cake

2009-01-27T22:41:00.001-08:00

I love to bake but since I had the boys, it seems like I never have enough time to do it. This year for Nate's 4th birthday, I decided to attempt making him a Thomas the Tank Engine cake. I looked up some ideas on the internet, ordered a few pieces off of ebay, and did it! Here are some pictures:

My first attempt at decorating a cake. It was lots of fun!

Next time, I will not use the icing recipe that I used for this one. I tried a whipped cream icing and it was very runny and slick. The color was also more of a yellowish, instead of the white I was expecting. I used a food color spray to make the grass and the pond.

Nate was so happy with his cake! He stared at it for a long time, as if he could not believe I actually made that with my own hands. It was very cute. The cake itself, was very yummy. The filling was a whipped chocolate icing. I think that was my favorite part.

My Newest Adventure!

2009-01-20T21:24:00.000-08:00

Guess what crazy thing I'm doing now...

Nope, not running with the bulls.

Nope, not a new tattoo.

Noooo... no roller derby for me.

NO!! Get your mind out of the gutter!

I'll just tell you: I'M TRAINING TO RUN IN THE SAN DIEGO ROCK & ROLL MARATHON!!!

I know... what am I thinking?! How am I going to do this?! What does it take for a complete novice to run 26.2 miles in under seven hours?!

I don't have the answers to these questions. But I will. Day-by-day, I'm going learn what it takes to become a marathon runner.

With the proper training, I know I will do this. Why not follow me on my journey as I go through this experience? I started another blog site where I plan to share my step-by-step experiences as I spend the next five months training for the Rock & Roll Marathon.

Here is the link: Rookie Runs 26.2. I also have it on my sidebar list.

I'd love to know you are reading my new blog and would appreciate your thoughts and encouragement as I start my new venture!

I Love Losers!

2009-01-06T19:02:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited... tonight is the first episode of the newest "The Biggest Loser". I love that show! I like how positive and informative it is. I love cheering on people working so hard to make good changes. My favorite part is seeing how much they've changed at the end of the season. I admire such hard work and commitment.

I also got Jillian Michael's book, Making the Cut. I haven't started reading it yet so I'll let you know how I like it. Or not.

Anyway, gotta get ready for "The Biggest Loser".

A Mommy's New Year's Resolution List

2009-01-02T20:30:00.000-08:00

Go to sleep earlier
Wake up before the kids wake me up
Don't mix up the kids' names
Put laundry away within one week
Keep the bathrooms clean
Don't stress over 1st grade homework
Teach the boys to share their Hot Wheels
Find a babysitter
Go on more dates (with the hubby)
Drop those stubborn 10 pounds that have attached themselves to my hips and tummy since the youngest was born.

Learning to Shoot... Photos, that is

2008-12-30T20:10:00.000-08:00

I got my new camera last week. I love it! What I know about photography could fill a, uh, um... a thimble. But, I love taking pictures of my kids, the things we do, and all the sights we are so blessed to have in our area. So, I decided to get a big girl camera and learn how to do more than point and shoot.

I figured I'd see what I could do with my new camera down in La Jolla. It's so beautiful down there and I especially love the La Jolla Cove... with its cliffs, interesting rocks, and the spray from the waves hitting the rocks.

I got there around 7:00 in the morning, thinking early morning would be best for shooting pictures. I quickly learned, though, that because of the cliffs surrounding the Cove, it stays pretty dark until the sun rises high enough in the sky to shed some of its light on the water and rocks.

There is so much to learn and I can see that I need lots of practice, but here are some of my favorite pictures from my morning shooting at La Jolla Cove:

Beautiful, clear water.

The Children's Pool... now a seal sanctuary.
No swimming allowed.

Facing North

Trying out the slow-shutter speed on running water...
gives it a smooth, velvety look.

I love when the waves crash into the rocks and cliffs, sending sprays
of water shooting up!

Water shooting up through a hole in the rock formation.

Funny squawking sea gull. I'm not sure if he has a leg up or if he's a one-legged bird.

Before the sun came up enough to shed light into the cove...
the cave in the background is what caught my eye.

I love the rock formations and the colors of the cliffs at the cove.

Job Titles

2008-12-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

I am a Mommy. That means I'm a:

1. Sanitation supervisor
2. Chef
3. Nutritionist
4. Architect (specializing in LEGO structures)
5. Engineer (on a contract basis for the town of Sodor)
6. Hostage Negotiator (specializing in stuffed animal rescue)
7. Personal Shopper
8. Translator
9. Chauffeur
10. Child Advocate
11. Teacher
12. Nurse
13. Tour Guide
14. Event Planner
15. Judge
16. Mediator
17. Librarian
18. Race Car Driver
19. Secret Hideout Designer
20. Historian/Scientist
21. Dental Hygenist
22. Human Jungle-Gym
23. Professional Wrestler
25. Crayola Artist
26. Carpet Cleaner
27. Banker
28. Story-teller
29. Singer
30. Photographer
31. Stunt Woman
32. Referee
33. Hug Specialist
34. Cake Decorator
35. Lab Assistant

The Mommy's Night Before Christmas

2008-12-24T17:52:00.000-08:00

'Twas the night before Christmas
and Mommy's awake.
There are still presents to wrap
and cookies to bake.

The kids are snuggled in tight
sleeping, like they should.
No begging to stay up late
(last chance to be good).

Daddy fell asleep watching
the 10 o'clock news
While Mom folds the laundry
and longs for a snooze.

She steps over the LEGOS,
the Hot Wheels and toys...
On her way to the bedroom
to check on her boys.

She sees that they're safe and sound
They're warm and they're fed.
She sees boys who are happy,
with nothing to dread.

She lifts up a prayer of thanks
She knows she's been blessed.
Her husband, her boys, their health...
and all of the rest.

Christmas swirls in like a storm,
her days seem to blend.
There's a stack of Christmas cards
she forgot to send.

There's Snoopy and there's Frosty,
Rudolph all aglow.
The Grinch tries to steal Christmas
from those down below.

Now she looks at the faces
of those she holds dear,
and remembers the reason
God's own Son came near.

It is not about fruitcake,
or trees or the lights.
It's about God's gift given
to us on that night.

A promise of a Savior
made right from the start
to a world that had fallen-
a world torn apart.

The baby boy born that night,
so weak and so small,
was God's perfect sacrifice...
His gift for us all.

Mommy smiles as she gazes
at her little boys.
They will wake up too early...
they'll make lots of noise.

God will smile, too, she's sure
because of their joy.
On this day we celebrate
the birth of His Boy.

Written by: Sara Jones

My New Camera

2008-12-23T22:21:00.000-08:00

OK... I finally got myself a "big girl" camera. I've been researching and wanting a new camera for a long time. I was first looking into the Nikon D40 (an earlier version of the one in Ashton Kucher's commercials. He's pretty cute, isn't he?). Great camera, with excellent reviews but expensive and probably more camera than I need.

I was still in Nikon D40 mode when I went to Fry's last week to check it out in person. I found out they don't carry Nikons. I was disappointed but half-heartedly looked at their other big girl cameras while Matt took Nate to the restroom.

It was then that I saw the Cannon SX10. I was immediately impressed with the zoom on the lens. It zooms up to 20x. In addition, I have been using my point and shoot Cannon Elph for years and many of the menu buttons are the same so I felt comfortable with the SX10 pretty quickly. And, it is less expensive than the Nikon.

My favorite part: The LCD screen shows what you're about to take a picture of (unlike the Nikon D40, where you have to look through the little view finder). AND... I absolutely LOVE this- the LCD screen swivels around and tucks itself in so that it is protected from being scratched. My ELPH LCD screen was scratched up after just a few weeks of owning it. I honestly think that's what sold me on this camera.

I ordered the camera from B&H Photo Video for a lower price than Fry's had it. They also express shipped it (overnight) for FREE! I got the camera today and love it already. I can't wait to take pictures of our Christmas celebrations with my new camera.

Bath Time for a Chicken

2008-12-19T21:36:00.000-08:00

When Nathaniel came up to me today to tell me his Chicken was dirty and needed a bath, I was pretty surprised. Surprised, because Nate has always adamantly refused to let me put his best friend into the washing machine.

I learned that Chicken was in the back playing with Nate. Somehow, Chicken ended up getting covered in dirt. Chicken was so dirty, even Nate had to acknowledge that his beloved fowl was... well, foul!

I documented the whole saga as it unfolded. My own little Bawwkumentary, I guess you could say. Here, my friends, is what happens in our house when Chicken needs a bath:

************************************************************************************************

Here is dirty Chicken. You can see some of the chunks of dirt.
What you can't see is how foul Chicken smells.

Is it just me, or does Chicken look

a little worried?

***************************************************************************************

One final picture before Chicken goes IN.

Don't let his slouchy posture fool you...
he is really a very dignified Chicken.

*****************************************************************************************

Nathaniel decided to watch as his buddy got swished around in the washer.
Far more interesting than Sponge Bob, it would seem.

Nate has bed head...
even though this picture was
taken in the late afternoon.

*********************************************************************************************

Warning: This picture looks more
traumatic than it really was.

Chicken did his best to tug at Nathaniel's heart strings by
looking as pathetic as possible. Chicken, however, overestimated the
compassion of a 3 yr. old who was finding the whole
thing highly entertaining.

****************************************************************************************

Andrew even stopped watching Indiana Jones
in order to see the events of the evening unfold.

Hmmm... maybe my boys need to take
up a sport or something.

****************************************************************************************

Time for the dryer, Chicken. Take that look off your face...
it might be kind of fun.

***********************************************************************************************

Chicken Suave... clean, fresh,
and ready to score some hot chicks.

Yes, I'm aware that Chicken appears to be a
"she" instead of a "he". Nate has declared him
a boy chicken, so he is.

Nathanielisms

2008-12-18T20:54:00.000-08:00

Most kids say funny things... and my three year old, Nathaniel, is no exception. I often get a chuckle out of the way he says what he is thinking. Here are just a few of Nate's funny and cute expressions:

1. "Tortilla with Cheese"
Translation: Quesadilla

2. "Peanut butter and jelly sandwich with peanut butter"
Translation: Peanut butter sandwich

3. "Last night"
Translation: Any time in the past... could be hours, could be weeks or months

4. "This is the ______ I never saw before"
Translation: This is the __________est I've ever seen!

5. "Daddy's old church"
Translation: Jazzercise, where Matt worked before taking his current job at Mission Hills Church.

6. "Turkey sandwich with the turkey on the side of my plate"
Translation: Turkey and cheese slices, please- no bread.

7. "Nordstrom"
Translation: Costco, Jimbo's... and Nordstrom

8. "Auntie Sheena"
Translation: Anyone having to do with my parent's side of the family, including my parents.

9. "Baaaaaaauuuuuuckkkkkk!!"
Translation: My stuffed animal Chicken is speaking for me today.

10. "The Mama Mia Song"
Translation: Let's listen to Bohemian Rhapsody for the 25th time today!

11. "Mommy! A Mustang!"
Translation: Look at that cool car, Mommy.
**This term may be used for any cool-looking car he sees

12. "I'm getting that for you for Christmas, Mommy."
Translation: Billy Mays endorses it so it must be good!
or, You can make me yummy things with that so I'm getting it for you.
or, I want that.

13. "Muffins with the stuff on top."
Translation: Cupcakes

More Confessions of an Average Supermom

2008-12-17T20:18:00.000-08:00

Every so often, I like to share my secrets as an Average SuperMom. I do this so that other moms might reach the same status I have worked so hard to achieve. I hope these little confessions help you become an Average SuperMom too. That is, assuming you are a mom. If you aren't, you are welcome to read on. Just be sure to share these insights with those who might find them helpful.

1. I'm a push-over. I could try to put it in a better light and say I'm tender-hearted but then I wouldn't be an average SuperMom, I'd be a super SuperMom... and how boring is that?! For example, I warm my kids' towels in the dryer for them after their bath. I also warm up their clothes. Does Daddy do this? No. Do they insist that Daddy do this? Again, no. This is Mommy's thing.

2. I'm a wimp. Some days I get so tired of arguing with my boys that I just back down. I guess a lot of it could fall under the umbrella of "picking your battles", but there are times I am just too tired to enforce certain things, even though I know I should.

3. I Get Strangers to do my Job. OK, that sounds worse than it is but when you have kids who listen to every other person besides their parents, this can be an effective tool. I recently tried to enlist the shoe salesman at Nordstrom to convince my three year old that it is NOT good to wear flip-flops in cold, rainy weather. I figured I was spending enough money on a pair of shoes, the least he could do was act as the voice of authority- the "Shoe Guy"- and save me from having to participate in the War of the Flip-Flops for the next 15 years. The Shoe Guy did a beautiful job coming across as the stern authority on the subject of proper footwear. Did it work? No. It was worth a try though.

4. I Get More Strangers to do my Job. When the Shoe Guy couldn't convince my little Jimmy Buffet that flip-flops are not suitable for winter weather, I took advantage of Andrew's doctor's appointment to get the doctor-- who was really a nurse practitioner, but the boys didn't need to know that-- to explain to Nate that he needs to wear socks and shoes in cold, rainy weather. Guess what? I think this time it worked... Nate wore shoes and socks this afternoon!

5. I Let my Kids Play in the Rain... in their Flip-Flops. Why? I figure it won't hurt them to do that for a little while. They like to hop in a hot bath afterwards. And of course, I warm up their towels and clothes for when they get out. I can only imagine what my neighbors must think, seeing my boys outside in the rain, running around and splashing in mud puddles. I'm sure I've been pegged as the irresponsible mom in the cul-de-sac. Heck, I only wish I could get out there and join my boys!

Elephants Never Forget... or Do They?

2008-12-17T09:55:00.000-08:00

I just read the blog of a friend whose grandpa recently passed away. Her blog touched me as she shared some of her favorite memories of her grandpa. She also mentioned a Christmas ornament her mom had given her that says, "the best gift we can give to our children are memories".

What does this have to do with elephants? Well, the other day I was talking with a friend of mine, Jane, who works at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. She has worked as a keeper to all kinds of wild animals. This woman loves animals and has so many interesting stories to share!

During the course of our conversation, she said something that I have never thought of before. She made the statement that although so many animals share human characteristics, the biggest difference between animals and people is that animals have no concept of their past... no concept of their ancestors, heritage, and traditions. They have no memories to pass on to their offspring.

Jane explained that with some animal groups (like elephants and gorillas), when one of the group dies the animals will mourn for a little while. But as babies are born into the group or herd, the animals that passed on before them are lost to future generations.

As I think about this, I realize what a gift it is for us to be able to have and share our memories of loved ones with others. What a gift to pass on these memories to our children. How blessed we are to have a sense of family and traditions!

The ability to know about, share, and appreciate those who have lived before us is unique to the human experience. This brings me back to my friend who has lost her grandpa. She will be able to share her memories with her own children. They will never forget him. She and her family will be able to relive some of their memories of their grandpa when they are together. In this way, their dearly loved grandpa will continue to be an important part of the family.

Thank you, God, for giving us a past... stories to share with others... experiences to remember fondly... traditions passed down through the years. Without these things, we would always and only be aware of the present... those who exist at the same time we do... clueless of those great people who came before us.

Bits and Pieces

2008-12-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged for a while and in case you're wondering... yes, I'm still alive! To save time, here are some bits and pieces of my life these days:

1. No more homeschooling! That's right- I found out that our local public school is actually very good. I was so impressed by my visit that I enrolled Andrew as quickly as I could. He started on Monday, December 1st so he is still in his first week of school there. So far, he LOVES it! He's made friends, plays soccer at lunch and recess, loves his teacher, and even looks forward to the lunches (they have a great selection of food!). I get to help out in the classroom tomorrow (Friday) and I'm looking forward to it.

2. Good decisions: I won't go into detail here but let me say that I've been making really good decisions lately regarding my family, my marriage, and myself. Deciding not to home-school is one of those good decisions.

3. Cluck Cluck: Nate still carries his chicken around with us every where we go. It got so dirty, I had to sneak the poor thing into the washing machine. It was a very well-planned operation and we ended up with a clean chicken in the end. It's dirty again.

4. Stupid Me: I took Nate to the Wild Animal Park yesterday. We had a fun day but in an idiotic attempt to get a picture of the two of us on the pretend tree in the playground area, I slid off the slick surface of the structure. I was holding Nate in one arm and my camera in the other hand. As I started to fall, I grabbed as tightly as I could onto the "branch" with my camera-hand and my right leg. It didn't stop me from hitting the ground, though. I'm happy to say that Nate is fine-- I was able to get him in a good football hold as we fell, protecting his head and back. Aside from feeling like a fool, I'm fine too but feel like I pulled every muscle on the right side of my body. Why do I do these things? I guess because I think I should be able to.

5. Santa: Even though Andrew doesn't believe in Santa anymore, he wanted to get his picture taken on his lap when we went to the mall before Thanksgiving. I wasn't intending to have this done when we went to the mall that day so I didn't dress the boys in anything special (well, special for them is clean clothes). When I saw that there was NO line & remembered my hour-long wait for Santa last year, I decided to get the picture done that day. I ended up going to the Children's Place to get Andrew some pants (to replace his raggedy sweat pants). And we went to Santa's throne for our picture. Both boys smiled this year and I was smiling because we didn't have to wait in any type of line. Ahhhh... sweet
Santa success!

6. Fudge: I LOVE fudge! I love eating fudge. I love making fudge. Every year, I start early in the fudge- er, holiday- season making fudge. I am always trying to make each batch better than the batch before it. I made the BEST fudge in the history of my fudge-making life on Tuesday. What made it especially good this time? I think it had a lot to do with the Godiva White Chocolate liqueur I put in it. Yes, I love fudge but love it even more with some sort of alcohol in it. YUM!

7. Soccer Mom: Yes, I'm going to be a soccer mom. No, my boys are not joining a soccer team. I am!! Many of my mom friends play soccer and love it. I've been asked to join leagues before, but was always afraid to because of the commitment involved and because of the fact that I don't know how to play. Well, as part of my good decision-making streak lately, I've been wanting to do something fun for me. Something that allows me to get exercise and develop more female friendships. Since there aren't many skateboarding mamas out there, soccer seemed like a fun way to accomplish those goals. I'm pretty feisty, quick, and a semi-intelligent so I figure I have time to learn how to play soccer before the season starts in January. The team I'm joining is not in the aggressively competitive league and the ladies know I'm a beginner. They play more for fun and exercise than to kick butt so I think I'll fit in just fine. I can't wait to get my pink shirt, cute soccer socks, shin guards and cleats! I wonder if they make pink cleats... hmmm, I'll have to look.

That's all for now! Gotta feed the kids and hubby now.

Suddenly, Public School Ain't Looking So Bad

2008-11-17T21:20:00.000-08:00

It seems like just a few days ago, I was blogging about what a great time I was having homeschooling my six year old. I really did like it... at the beginning. The thing I feared the most about homeschooling seems to have come to fruition: My kid drives me CRAZY!

I love Andrew. Of course! But to be honest, his personality is one that I find difficult to deal with every single day... all day. He is very argumentative... not with everyone but he sure is with Matt and me. He gets easily distracted (as do I). This is even worse when his little brother is playing and talking in the same room. He is very deliberate and slow-moving. It takes him so long to finish his work! He's super smart and this seems to make him over-think everything he is doing. I, on the other hand, do everything quickly and it's hard for me to be patient when people move at the speed of snail!

These are all issues I can deal with as Andrew's Mommy. As a mommy/teacher, however, it has become very trying. What I mean is, there is a very blurry line between my role as "Mommy" and my job as Andrew's academic "Teacher". Most days, I feel like I am on Andrew's case all the time. There is never a time when I am just his Mom or just his Teacher. These lines are easier to draw when they are separate roles.

My life feels chaotic some days, lonely and isolated other days, and always like I'm spreading myself too thin between both boys while trying to educate Andrew. I like to keep my life as simple and stress-free as possible but I always seem to be putting myself into situations that give me the opposite results. I guess I'm just a risk-taker. But I can't help but wonder if I should take less risks when it comes to my kids.

So, what am I going to do? With my husband's support, I am looking into our options for putting Andrew into a more traditional classroom setting. I would love to put Andrew back into the private school he attended kindergarten. But private school is so dang expensive! Our neighborhood public school isn't bad, based on what I've heard... but it's also not great, based on what I've heard. Since I taught in public school prior to becoming a mom, I am very cautious about any public school I may choose to enroll my own children in.

I have an appointment to take a tour of our public school and to sit in on some of the first grade classes tomorrow. The staff at the school seems very accommodating and friendly. I got the impression they would love to have my son at their school. This is a very encouraging start.

I really hope to find a school that is balanced in terms of demographics, doesn't spend all its education time preparing for standardized tests, and doesn't have the ESL issues so many of our schools have. If I'm not satisfied in these areas... well, then we have some more thinking to do.

So, I'd appreciate your prayers that we'll make the right decision. And that Andrew won't be devastated to find out he won't be homeschooled anymore. He loves it... I just wish I did!

I'll keep you all posted!

Yay! My blog is loved!

2008-11-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

Melissa listed my blog as one of the five blogs she loves. How cool is that?!

So, this is how this works:

1. Name 5 things you love.
2. Pass the award on to 5 blogs you love.
3. Link back to the giver's blog, and tell how fabulous they are.

Five things I love

1. Staying up late and sleeping in.
2. Brownie edges and corners (not too gooey but just a tiny bit crunchier and chewier than the brownies at the center of the pan).
3. Nature & being outdoors... especially the mountains.
4. When my boys are clean and smell good (right after they get out of the tub... doesn't last long).
5. When my husband and our boys wrestle and play together.

Five Blogs I Love (in no particular order)

Melissa's
Promises to Keep, Miles to Go, Wonderful is Our Journey
I found Melissa on MySpace after I "friended" her brother, Jeff. I started to read Melissa's comments and blogs and found out she is super funny. So I begged her to be my friend. Melissa's blogs make me laugh and I appreciate her honest, down-to-earth manner of writing. I like how she finds the humor in things around her... and can laugh at herself. Very cool!

Sarah's
Can We Get More Napkins, Please?
I know Sarah from church. Although she is much younger than me, she has lots of kids. And she's never afraid to let her imperfections show. Sarah's blogs make me feel like it's OK to have bad days, to feel like throwing in the mommy towel, or to break down and cry if I have to. Don't get me wrong, Sarah is a GREAT mom and that is what makes her blogs so inspiring and encouraging. If a wise young mommy like Sarah can laugh at the bad days as much as she can rejoice in the good days, I can too!

Beckie's
The Grainger Family
Beckie is a special lady. I've known her for a while through my little brother but only really got to know her via MySpace. Especially since she moved to Colorado. I love reading Beckie's blogs because it so awesome to see how much she has grown spiritually since I first met her! Her move to Colorado wasn't an easy transition at first and I know she struggled to find a good church home so I love reading that she has found a church and is making lots of good friends. Beckie is a loving mom who blesses others by sharing her fears, hopes, and joys of mommihood.

Leah's
Blonde at Home
I know Leah from church. Her husband plays guitar with my husband. When I first met Leah, I thought she was this quiet, serious, sweet churchy girl. Well, she's still sweet but not as quiet, serious, and churchy as I initially thought. I relate to Leah. Her blogs crack me up... especially her blog titled "Eau de ______". Leah is witty and writes very well. Fun stuff!

My Little Brother's (Andrew)
Life on the Mountain
My little brother is one of my favorite people. He just moved up to Palomar Mountain to take a position as the teacher for Light & Life's K-8 one room school house. My sister-in-law is about 12 months pregnant with their second boy. There seems to always be some crazy thing going on in their lives. I have to give my sister-in-law lots of credit... I would have gone insane long ago if I were married to someone like my brother! His blogs are about life, family, teaching, the oddities of living in the mountains, and of course hunting & fishing.

Fourth Picture in the Fourth Folder

2008-11-11T22:05:00.000-08:00

I stole another idea from my friend Melissa... it's pretty cool. Take the fourth picture from the fourth folder in your computer. Post it. What is it?

Here's my fourth photo from my fourth album:

This is a picture from Andrew's 6th birthday party. We had the party at the Roynon Museum of Paleontology (amazing place!). I love this picture because of the look on Andrew's face. He loves rocks & fossils and he looks like a kid in a candy store in this picture.

My Quirks

2008-10-27T22:52:00.000-07:00

I got this idea from my friend (even though I've never met her), Melissa. I'm pretty sure she got it from someone else. Anyway, it's a fun topic so here goes:

My Quirks:

1. I have a fear of public restrooms. The fear is that they'll be dirty and disgusting. I even have bad dreams where I have to go to the bathroom SO BAD but all the toilets are dirty and/or there is urine all over the floor.

2. I can't sit still... I'm always fidgeting or multi-tasking.

3. I am afraid of storm drains... the kind that swallow up your skateboard or small balls along the curbs. I'm afraid I will fall in, I guess. Or that an arm will reach up and pull my leg and the rest of me down.

4. I don't like when people put their feet on me.

5. I dislike clowns, mimes, and balloon-twister people.

6. I am SO bad at remembering names- but even worse, I don't remember faces. It takes several times seeing someone before I recognize them.

7. I get panicked if I can't see the outside for a long stretch of time (like an hour). I would LOVE to live in a house made of windows instead of walls.

8. Really perky people bug me. Especially in the morning.

9. I get depressed if I am stuck at home.

10. I can get really pissy toward phone sales people, those pestering cell phone vendors at the mall, or anyone else who interrupts my day to try to pressure me into buying something I don't want or need.

11. I'm addicted to lip moisturizer.

There's more but I'll have to save those for another time. What are your quirks?

Picking Out Pumpkins

2008-10-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

As a kid, I loved Halloween! In addition to all the candy I knew my brother and I would score on Halloween night, there was the anticipation of choosing a costume (we usually made our own out of stuff from our dad's closet), decorating the house, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, the parties at school, and of course picking out the perfect pumpkin for carving.

I still love all those things... even the candy (unfortunately). I have to say, Halloween is even more fun now that I have my boys to share these traditions with. On Sunday I took Andrew and Nate to Bate's Nut Farm in Valley Center. We met my family there. My family = My parents, my little brother, my sister-in-law, my little sister, and my nephew. The day was beautiful! Sunny, but not too warm. Not windy or smokey from wild fires. It was as close to perfect as the day could be.

Here are some pictures of our day:

They had a little petting zoo.

The boys, Chicken, and me.

My Sister-in-Law, Kim. My newest nephew is due in December!

My little brother Andrew, my Andrew, and nephew Mattias.
Nate didn't want to ride in the wheelbarrow.

Our traditional "Cousins in the Pumpkin Patch" photo.
One of these years, they'll all smile at the same time.

Andrew's Pumpkin

Nate's Pumpkin

Taking a break and sampling our candies.

We even went through the maze.

Yes, My House Gets Messy... and So Does Yours

2008-09-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

The following is an excerpt from a conversation I had with my husband several days ago:

Matt: This house is a mess.
Me: It is?
Matt: Well, yes. There are toys everywhere. Everyday I come home and have to step over toys and crap.
Me: OK. Yes, the house is a little messy right now but it's not always messy. Maybe you should should hire a house cleaner to come in a couple times a month if you aren't happy with how clean the house is.
Matt: I guess I figure, you know, you're home all day. I mean, I know you home-school but you still should be able to keep the house clean.
Me: I just look at him, wondering which 1960s sitcom we just got transported to. I'm thinking June Cleaver.
Me: (laughing) You have NO idea.
Matt: About what?
Me: About just how messy this house really gets during the day and how much I really do clean up before you get home.
Matt: It can't be that bad.
Me: It is. Trust me, it is.
Matt: Well, then... leave it a mess. That way I can see how bad it gets.
Me: I'm not going to do that!
Matt: Why not? You say it gets messy. Maybe I'll appreciate what you do more.
Me: I'm not going to do that. No way. Then I'll have to clean it all up later. I prefer to do a little bit of damage control as we go through the day.
Matt: (shrugs) Oookaaayyy

So, I decided to take pictures. And since one reason I keep a blog is to share what my life is like as an everyday, average Supermom I'm going to post them for everyone else to see.

Yes, my house gets messy. Unless you don't have kids or you are neurotic, I'm willing to bet yours does too.

These pictures were taken at 4:00, after a day of homeschooling and errands.

Kitchen... cluttery

Unwashed dishes in the sink

The living room... the pillows and blankies are all over the floor because this is Nate's "bird nest". If you've read any of my blogs, you know Nate thinks he's baby bird.

The TV room... remnants of the boys' extra birdhouse/fort making material.

FYI, these are Matt's socks!

____________________________________________________________________

Now it's about 4:45-- about a half hour before Matt gets home.

Nate helps me wash the dishes. Clutter put away.

The living room... after the nest has been disassembled.

The TV room... minus dirty socks, toys, sheets, towels, etc.

____________________________________________________________________

I admit, I don't always get a chance to pick up the house as much as I was able to on this day. I didn't have to make dinner so that gave me a little extra time.

With that said, I never leave the house as messy as it gets during the day. I do this for my own sanity and so my husband doesn't have to come home to the disaster you witnessed in the before shots.

My points are:

1. To my fellow moms- everyone's house gets messy. Moms shouldn't be embarrassed by that when friends and neighbors drop by.

2. To all the husbands- don't complain about the house being a mess. Chances are, it looked MUCH worse before you came home!

You Can Tell A Lot About A Woman...

2008-09-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

"You can tell a lot about a woman by the contents of her purse."

Does that quote sound familiar? I'm sure it's been said before, but the first time I heard it was on the Pixar film, The Incredibles.

I thought it would be fun to list the items I find in my purse. I don't even know what all is in there. I just know it's heavy. So you ready? Here goes:

Listed in order of how they are pulled out...

1. Checkbook Amazing... I think I write about one check every 4 months or so.

2. My medication I keep some in my purse in case I forget to take it at home.

3. Myoplex Protein Bar Just in case I get hungry.

4. My wallet The contents of which could be its own blog.

5. Miami Ink 50 SPF Sunscreen Love this stuff! Smells great.

6. A plastic wrapper from a bottled Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino Trash.

7. Coppertone Kids 30 SPF Sunscreen I was wondering where that went.

8. A Uniball Gel Pen

9. An old shopping list

10. Coupon book for the Zoo and Wild Animal Park Got this yesterday when I renewed our membership.

11. Cell phone The battery still works!! I amaze myself sometimes.

12. A candy wrapper from one of those little mints you get on the way out (and in) of a restaurant More trash.

13. A week-old receipt from the rock store down town

14. Victoria Secret Beauty Rush Lip Gloss Flavor/Color= The Big Caramapple

15. Victoria Secret Beauty Rush Lip Gloss Flavor/Color= Cherry Bomb (my favorite)

16. An ancient photo pick-up slip from Legoland Never did pick up the picture. Trash.

17. A Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt receipt Funny thing is, it's not even mine! A friend I ran into wrote her phone number on the back of the receipt she found in her purse and gave it to me. Not trash... better put it in a good place.

18. A gold foil chocolate novelty ingredient sticker off of some chocolate novelty from Sees Candy

19. One half-full roll of cinnamon Certs

20. Our temporary passes to the Zoo and WAP

21. Another receipt for rocks

22. Guest passes for the Zoo and WAP Anyone want to join us sometime?

23. A smashed, previously melted (many times) Balance Energy Bar Flavor= Mocha Chip. This will be going in the trash. I'm never that desperate to eat!

24. A frozen yogurt card... buy 8 get one free! I'm saving that!

25. My red Swiss Army Knife key chain with keys to who knows where!

26. A faded Starbucks receipt

27. A small, navy blue, fuzzy pom-pom ball

28. A shark tooth Really!

29. Lint

30. A smashed collector penny from the WAP.

31. Something that looks like a small cupcake paper thingee Hmmmm...

32. Sand And I just got it under my fingernail. Ick!

So, what do the contents of my purse say about me? Mostly, they say I have kids--boys. Boys who love nature and going to fun places; I need caffeine and love chocolate; I live in one of the best places in the country; I try to protect my boys and myself from sun damage; I can't stand dry lips; and I worry about having coffee breath. Maybe some Freudian psychologist would have blast analyzing what the stuff in my purse says about me. But, if you're reading this, and you're one... don't tell me. I like to keep things simple.

So, what do you have in your purse?

Monday Minutiae

2008-09-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

Today is Monday. That means it's time for "Monday Minutiae"... quick write-ups of miscellaneous, meaningless, and sometimes mundane musings.

Matt and I got to out out on Friday for a date... a kid-free date! We went to the Brigantine in Escondido (a nice fish food restaurant). We discovered that it pays to go early on a Friday night to eat: They offer a three-course meal for basically the price of a regular entree. They offer this between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. We were there at around 5:15... along with all the elderly "early birds". We were the youngest people in the restaurant but we got a good deal!

I'm not really sure how to spell restaurant. I'll be spell-checking this, for sure!

My bullet-point dots aren't spacing right. What's up with that?!

I think I fixed it.

Nate is growing more and more fond of chickens, ducks, and other types of fowl. He must take his stuffed chicken and two little roosters everywhere he goes.

Nate still thinks he is a baby bird. As I write this, he and Andrew are playing in Nate's "bird house"... a fort made out of a sheet and cushions.

I booked a weekend trip to Santa Barbara for Matt and myself. We are going in October and I can hardly wait. We have never been to Santa Barbara before. I hear it's beautiful.

I made chocolate chip banana muffins today, using the banana bread mix from Trader Joe's. They were YUMMY! I ate too many.

I just finished reading the book The Shack by William P. Young. It was pretty good & very interesting. I found it to be a little strange but a challenge to how I've always viewed God. I can't say it makes my list of favorite books but it's definitely worth a read.

Now it's an hour or so after I started writing this... had to finish up our homeschool day.

I purchased a sweeper vacuum for Nate-- the kind that you just push and the rollers sweep it up (no electricity needed). He loves it! It works pretty well. I have to say, our carpet is very clean!

Nate is such a cleaning freak. As I write this very sentence, he is cleaning his bathroom. Really!

Well, that's probably enough meaningless, miscellaneous information for now. I need to spell-check this and get the house straightened up before Matt gets home from work.

Next Monday, if I remember, I'll have more minutiae to share.

This is just one of Nate's chickens. He (?) came with us on a hike on Palomar Mountain.

Remembering 9/11 in Escondido

2008-09-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

Every Friday night during the months of April through September, Escondido holds a classic car event called "Cruisin' Grand". Several city blocks are set aside to let people showcase their mostly American classic cars.

Two Fridays ago, the Escondido Fire and Police Departments used Cruisin' Grand as a way to honor those who lost their lives in the attacks on September 11th seven years ago. They had classic... and down-right old... fire trucks and police cars on display on Grand Avenue right along with classic Mustangs, Camaros, and Thunder Birds. The best part was, the classic fire trucks were offering rides to those willing to wait in line.

Andrew was willing and Matt agreed to take him. The wait was long but there was enough going on to make the time go quickly. Nate didn't want to ride on the fire truck because of the loud sirens. After about twenty minutes, Andrew, Matt, and a bunch of other people finally boarded one of the fire trucks.

Nate and I waved bye-bye as they took off. And we waited for them to return. And waited. And waited. Just when I was beginning to wonder if their truck broke down somewhere, I saw that the fire trucks and police cars had lined up and were coming down the street in parade-fashion. It was then that I realized the truck Andrew and Matt were on was part of the parade.

Nate and I cheered as we watched them go past us, waving flags and smiling. They passed us again and everyone was cheering the fire fighters and waving to those aboard the trucks. My little boy and my husband got to be a part of all of it! It was such a fun surprise. Andrew was so excited and could hardly believe the fire fighters let him keep the flag!

We had so much fun! Andrew will surely never forget how he got to ride on an old fire truck and be part of the parade.

Waving bye as they drive away.

Waving flags in the parade.

Nate did NOT like the sirens.

Andrew was amazed that he got to keep the flag.

One of the old police cars.

Not a police car... my DREAM car!

Let the Homeschooling Begin!

2008-09-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

What the heck was I thinking?!

Last year, when I decided not to return to teaching, we had to make some decisions regarding how and where to educate my oldest, Andrew. He would be going into first grade and public school was not an option we felt comfortable choosing. Private school was not an option due to its high tuition. We looked at our only other options- charter school and homeschooling. Heritage Charter School had a waiting list a mile long. Although Andrew got down to number 2 on the waiting list for first grade, we never got the call letting us know there was an opening.

That left us with homeschooling. I've always considered the idea of homeschooling to be a wonderful way to educate kids. That is, until I had my own. I've said for years that I wouldn't want to homeschool Andrew because he tends to be very argumentative... but not with other adults. I decided to try it, however, because I didn't know what else to do. Besides, Andrew wanted to be homeschooled. Many of our neighbors homeschool.

Fortunately, we were able to get into a program that combines homeschooling with class time in a traditional school setting. We are homeschooling through The Classical Academy. TCA is a local charter school which gives us the best of both worlds. I homeschool Andrew two and a half days a week. The other two and a half days are spent in a classroom and/or taking part in "labs". We go on field trips, are held accountable by the TCA staff for work and objectives met, and have a school base to call "home". The labs, which are held on Fridays, offer classes in karate, gymnastics, science, acting, videography, and much more.

I love having the flexibility to change and control our family schedule. I love being able to know what my child is learning in school. I am enjoying spending time with Andrew and Nate. I also love not having to homeschool everyday. I'm glad that Andrew gets to spend time playing with his friends. He also loves his "other" teacher, Mrs. Eastman. We truly have the best of both worlds when it comes to our schooling situation.

So, when people ask me, "How is the homeschool thing going?" I'm surprised to hear myself answer, "It's going great! Much better than I thought it would."

Our homeschool room.

Andrew (and Nate) hard at work. Andrew's favorite subject: Science, of course!

Homeschool room, again.

Andrew's first day of school at The Classical Academy.

Waiting for school to start.

Our Vacation

2008-08-07T15:20:00.000-07:00

Since March, we had been looking forward to our summer vacation. Matt's parents decided to take us all on a short(four-night)cruise for a family vacation. We boarded the Royal Caribbean Cruise ship, Monarch of the Seas in Los Angeles. As soon as we boarded, the boys were amazed at the size of the ship and all the stuff to see.

One down side is that Andrew was not feeling well when he woke up that morning at our hotel by the pier. He didn't feel any better when it was time for us to get on the ship. He did his best to be upbeat and have fun but we could see that he was feeling worse and worse as the afternoon wore on.

Nate was feeling fine and started exploring the ship and our stateroom with his usual curious nature. He had fun jumping on the bed and looking at the harbor from our stateroom balcony.

Our stateroom was amazing! It was spacious, beautiful, and had a large private balcony. We even had goodies delivered to our room each night of the cruise. We had sushi, little desserts, and chocolate covered strawberries.

Our first stop (the next day) was at the exotic port of San Diego. That morning, Andrew had gotten sick enough to... uh... be glad he didn't eat the day before. He and Matt decided to stay on the ship while docked in San Diego. This was very disappointing to Andrew, who was looking forward to visiting the Space Museum and the Natural History Museum at Balboa Park. We've been there several times but he loves museums and couldn't wait to go.

After promising to bring back a few surprises for Andrew Grandma, Nate, and I took a taxi to Balboa Park. We found some break-apart archeology kits for Andrew and enjoyed some time at the Art Museum. Nate got to ride on the merry-go-round at the park (my bird/fowl loving boy chose the rooster to ride on). He loved it!

Our third port of call was Catalina Island. Andrew was feeling much better and we all went into Avalon together to do some shopping. Andrew was determined to find a jewel for his museum collection. I was determined to find a nice sweatshirt. I found a sweatshirt but Andrew was not as lucky finding his jewel. He did, however, find a little pirate treasure chest filled with pirate money, a treasure map, and an eye patch. It wasn't the ruby he was looking for, but it was a close second.

Our final stop on the trip was in Ensenada, Mexico. Nate and I stayed on the ship and had a fun time walking around, sitting by the pool, and riding up and down the glass elevator in the main part of the ship.

Andrew, Matt, Grandma, and Grandpa all went into Mexico. Andrew was very excited to visit another country and was certain he would be able to buy a jewel there. There were no jewels there (at least none that were appropriate or affordable enough for a six year old boy). He wasn't too disappointed because he found a silver Mayan necklace charm for his museum. He is so proud of his "medallion". He also was elated to get some genuine Mexican money to add to his collection of foreign currency.

We arrived back in Los Angeles on Friday morning and headed home. We were all very tired but carried home a Mayan medallion, two archeology kits, a comfy sweatshirt, a few extra pounds, and of course memories to last a lifetime.

A few more pictures:

Here are Nate and Grandma at dinner.

The elephant made by our room steward. There was a new animal each night!

Andrew hits the pool!

Nate and Daddy on the pool deck.

Our New Pool

2008-07-21T23:35:00.000-07:00

Everyday Nate does something to make me smile, laugh, or just shake my head in resignation. He is so mischievous. He can be naughty. He is full of curiosity and will do things just because they look fun. Some days, Nate can bring me to the brink of exasperation. But just when I start to wonder if I'll make it until he's old enough to go off to college, he will melt my heart with a wiggly hug. Or sweet, little kisses. Or big, slobbery kisses. Or a softly spoken, "I love you, Mommy. I love you SO much."

Last week, Nate discovered that he could make his own "pool" by turning the hose on full-blast near one of our landscape drains on our patio. I was making lunch while he turned the hose on himself and filled up our drainage area.

This is how I found him--stripped naked, jumping and splashing in our "pool". He was so proud of his creation and assumed I would be just as enthusiastic as he was!

His little pool was still there after lunch, so he went back for more fun (with his clothes on, this time). He filled his little construction worker hat up with water and dumped it on his head and face, laughing each time.

Even Andrew got in on the action and had a blast. In our family, it's the little brother who teaches the big brother how to do crazy things.

The day Nathaniel was born, I knew he was going to be a feisty one. He cried for the first four months of his life (at least that's how it seemed). When he did start smiling, I noticed he did it with a sparkle in his eyes and a brightness that made me fall whole-heartedly in love with him.

He's my NaterGator. Nate the Great. Nateball. Nathaniel Cooper. And I love him!

I Got Inked!

2008-07-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

I finally did it! After more than a year of wanting one, I got up the courage and support from my hubby to get a tattoo. I went to a place called "Seven Seas Tattoo". I was referred to the shop and the artist by my little brother, Andrew. Here are some pictures of the event:

Did it hurt? Yes! Was it worth it? Yes!

People have been surprised that it is as big as it is. I figured if I was going to get one, I wanted one that people could see, if I so choose.

Here is a copy of my MySpace blog explaining why I chose a hummingbird:

I love my tattoo. It's a hummingbird and some flowers (in case you can't tell). Why a hummingbird? Well, I could just say I think they're beautiful and that would be a good enough reason. Actually, there is more to it than that:

Hummingbirds have special meaning to me because I identify with their spirit and what they represent. Hummingbirds are tiny- anyone can see that. But did you know they are one of the bravest birds out there? They will take on birds much, much larger than themselves in order to protect themselves, their territory, and especially their babies.

Without going into too much detail (I really dislike pity), let me explain that my childhood years were not so great. Don't get me wrong... there is MUCH worse out there than I ever faced, but it was also far from ideal.

Basically, I was left by almost everyone who ever meant anything to me (except my Dad). I spent most of my childhood feeling like I was the only one I can trust. I was forced at an early age to be tough, independent, brave, and feisty.

I hold no grudges or bitterness. But I'm certain my experiences have shaped me into who I am today... and I like who I am.

So, when it came to choosing what I would have tattooed on my body, I chose the hummingbird because of its bravery, feistiness, and beauty.

While researching hummingbirds in my quest for the perfect tattoo, I learned that female hummingbirds are protective, nurturing mommies. This information only confirmed that this was the image for me! Being a Mom is the most important aspect of who I am. I want so much to be the best mom in the world for my boys. There was a time when I was afraid I wouldn't know how to be a mom. I'm far, far from perfect but by God's grace, being a good Mommy has come more naturally to me than I ever expected.

Finally, the hummingbird's small stature and brave spirit make me think of this verse from the Bible:

2 Timothy 1:7-- For God did not give us a spirit of timidity,
but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.

While this verse is specifically referring to sharing Christ with others, I know God wants us to be courageous and strong in Him. The hummingbird is a perfect representation of this: Tiny and fragile by itself, but bold and courageous with God's strength.

The flowers are done in my boys' birthstone colors. Garnet/red for Nate. Diamond (shown in the light blue flower) for Andrew. The purple bud on top represents, well.. nothing. It was just there and Dan surprised me with the color purple. I'll have to make up a story for that one, I guess.

So, there it is! The story behind my tattoo. It hurt like &%$@ but I'm glad I did it!

Thanks to Dan at Seven Seas... you are awesome!

Where Does it Go?

2008-07-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not talking about money (although I wonder about that, too), or that matching sock, or that allusive sippy cup. I'm talking about TIME! I know you know what I mean. I thought I'd have so much extra time to blog since finishing the school year. Here I am, almost a month since my last post, at 11:00 pm finally posting a new blog.

So, what's been taking my time?

The kids, of course.

Life in general.

In addition to these, I've been using my "me time" to work on a family website. Why? I don't really know... except to say that I must be neurotic and I decided that I have to learn the meaning behind all those mysterious html words. I'm happy to say that I made the site and it was actually fun! The problem I'm having is trying to get it published on my host (LunarPages). It's driving me nuts!! Once it's up and running, I'll give you the address. Everyone needs to have access to reading material to put them to sleep.

Nate: He still thinks he is a baby bird. He still chirps and flaps his "wings". His "nest" is a pile of fluffy pillows on our bed. He calls me Mommy Bird and talks in a squeaky bird voice much of the day. It's all cute until about 5:30 pm, after he's been talking in a squeaky voice all day. Then it's just irritating.

Andrew: I've started doing some school work with him, trying to get into a home-school frame of mind. I have been amazed at how well he reads! I had no idea- I was so consumed with how my students were doing in school, I didn't have the time or energy to notice how much my own son has learned! Well, no more of that! (No more being oblivious, that is... I'm not referring to learning!)

Matt: Matt spent a few days at a worship leader's conference a couple weeks ago. He used to travel a lot for his job at Jazzercise so I'm used to him being gone. But, it can be tough being a single parent for any length of time.

Me: I'm adjusting to life at home full-time again. I'm adjusting to not being able to go all over San Diego County to keep they boys occupied (gas is just too darned expensive so I've had to cut way back on our day-trips).

Humming birds: I'm getting a tattoo tomorrow (Tuesday). So I've been spending lots of time trying to find the perfect picture/tattoo design of a humming bird. I'm so excited about getting a tattoo! My first. Matt is a little iffy about the whole thing (he's very conservative) but we finally came to an agreement regarding the tattoo thing. In case you haven't figured it out, I'm getting a humming bird tattoo.

OK, that's enough for now! I've got to get some beauty sleep. Catch ya up on us soon!

Wii Fit... Well Worth the Hunt

2008-06-23T23:48:00.000-07:00

Once I heard all the great things about Wii Fit, I knew I had to get one! It took several days, lots of precious gas, too much time on the phone, and finally lining up in front of Best Buy on a Sunday morning... but I got one! And all I have to say is, I LOVE IT! I was skeptical at first but I really do feel like I get a decent workout without really feeling like I'm working out.

My husband and the boys love it also. Andrew uses it more than any of us. This is saying a lot, since Andrew is not one of those adventurous, athletic, coordinated kids. But, since he has been using the Wii Fit, I notice those things are beginning to change. I've noticed that he is more willing to take chances, try new things, and has more self-confidence. I think this may be due, in part, to the way Fit gives positive feed-back and he competes against himself... not everyone else in the house.

The other day at the gym, Andrew was showing off his Yoga skills to the Kids' Club worker. She was very impressed. A little confused, but impressed.

Nate uses it to "wun". In Nate-ese, this means "run". It's so funny to watch his little legs running in-place, as he tries to keep up with the Mii in front of him. He likes to stop at look at the scenery. It's very cute!

Nate also likes to do the torso twists. He's so little, I'm surprised the Balance Board even registers his body weight.

My advice: If you've been thinking about getting the Wii Fit, get it! If you can. It's worth every minute I spent trying to get my hands on one.

Andrew & Nate, running together. Nate's butt is so skinny, it's hard to find clothes that stay up!

Boxing... Go for a knock out, Andrew!

Twists. That's right, Nate... work on that hefty waist line of yours!

Paint Thinner... Smells Kind of Good!

2008-06-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

Nathaniel is destructive. We've known this for a long time. From the time he could move around on his own, our house has become a story. The window sills (where he chewed off the dry wall) show how tall he was from foot to jaw when he learned to pull himself up. The brown stains on the carpet remind us that he does not react to augmentin very well. The broken window in the breakfast nook is evidence of his strength. The pink spots on his bedroom carpet show his love for drawing. I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.

The latest chapter in our story-book house was written yesterday. I came up with the SuperMomish idea of planting herb seeds with the boys. I was prepared. I had the clear cups, the soil, the seeds, the spray bottles, and the Sharpie Markers with which I would write the name of the herb planted in each cup. We had a great time talking about the seeds, guessing how long they would take to grow, how the herbs might taste, over-watering the rosemary, and getting dirt everywhere.

When we were finished, I let the boys play while I cleaned off our patio. Several times, I looked at the Sharpie pens on the ground and thought, "I better pick those up before Nate gets his hands on one of those." Well, if you're a mom of young kids, you know how easy it is to think of something and then get side-tracked.

I get side-tracked easily. And often. I picked up our trash, put away the garden tools, and put the leftover soil in one of our malnourished potted plants. I was just about ready to go in and get out of the heat when I saw it: Scribbles and letters (?) on our patio concrete. Black ink and white concrete. Matt's beloved patio. I was horrified.

Step back a moment... my husband is terrific. He is also very observant and very house-proud. He's gotten better about accepting certain messes. He's learning to over-look toys, sticky spots on the floor, and minor carpet damage. Black, permanent marker on the patio? Well, that is too much... even for me.

I gasped when I saw the ink and said, "Nathaniel Cooper Jones... did YOU do this?" My cute, sparkly-eyed boy said , "Sowwry, Mommy. It was an attident." Ha!! Accident? I don't think so... but he's used to being able to write on the concrete with chalk. Do three year olds understand why one writing tool is OK and the other is not? I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Strange thing is, in addition to the scribbles, it looked like he had written the word "kill" with the pen. Unless he's a child prodigy-- a psychotic one-- it was coincidental. I know doing such a thing would never cross Andrew's mind (and his writing is way too messy) so I was a little fascinated by Nate's graffiti. Not fascinated enough to keep it, though.

I tried everything I could think of. I scrubbed with a deck brush and water. I added dish soap to the mix. I tried rubbing alcohol (I know... but I was desperate!), Comet, and finally paint thinner. While it faded a bit, nothing took the ink away completely. I spent at least an hour in heat of the day trying erase Nate's artwork.

I decided to inform Matt by calling him at work. Not only does he work at a church, he works with lots of women... women who are moms. Matt took the news very well. He felt certain that it would eventually fade away. I think he's also gotten used to Nate's...um... impact on our home.

My Nathaniel... he has certainly added so much flavor to our lives! He has a bright smile, eyes that shine, and a curious nature. He can be naughty on purpose but often, he does things because it looks like fun. He has been warned very sternly that he must not write on anything other than paper... unless he uses chalk.

Sigh... what's next? I'll keep you posted!

By the way... in case you're wondering about the caution tape, the boys love to put that up all over the yard. Seven bucks at Home Depot and keeps them entertained for hours.

I'm Back!

2008-06-17T22:41:00.000-07:00

I'm baaaa-aaack! In so many ways, I'm back: I'm officially back home, being a stay-at-home Mommy. I'm back to keeping the house somewhat clean. I'm back to making real meals for my family. I'm back to taking spontaneous excursions to the park. I'm back to feeling proud of what I'm doing with my life. I'm back to snuggling with my Nate in the morning. I'm back to being able to relate to Andrew, my oldest. I'm back to feeling like I've got my head screwed on straight. I'm back to feeling like I'm investing my time into the most important people in my life-- my family.

It feels so good to be back where I belong. In some ways, it's like I never left. In other ways, I feel like I've grown so much wiser. I've changed in my appreciation for being able to be home with my boys. I hope I never forget how stressful it was to rush the boys out the door in the morning. I know I'll never again have see the distress in my toddler's eyes as I leave him in the care of someone else. I hope I always appreciate being able to keep up on Andrew's school life and friends.

I pray that the lessons I learned by going back to work prematurely will never be forgotten and I'll always be content to be where God has planted me for the moment. I can't get that time back but I plan to make the most of the time I still have with my boys.

I have so much I want to share... I hardly know where to start! I'll be back. Here, that is... on Blogger. I'm excited to catch everyone up on my life and get caught up on what is going on in the lives of my friends.

Information Regarding the Roynon Museum

2008-05-14T21:41:00.000-07:00

A few people have asked for contact information on the Roynon Museum of Paleontology (blog and pics below). Here is the website (with very basic info.): Roynon Museum .

Here is a link to a recent article from the North County Times: North County Times, Roynon Museum

It's a great place! Thanks for the nice comments.

Please Pass the Dinosaur Poop

2008-05-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we finally had Andrew's "Friends Birthday Party". Since Andrew is such a museum/science guy, we celebrated his birthday at a local museum. This museum is a hidden jewel here, in Escondido. It is located in a man's garage... but to call it a garage, does not do this place justice. This garage is about 2,000 square feet, climate-controlled, and filled with an amazing collection of fossils, dinosaur eggs, life-size fossil replicas, minerals, and so much more!

The museum owner, Mr. Roynon, is an enthusiastic, knowledgeable tour guide. He owns the entire collection... some of which he's had since he was Andrew's age! The kids were allowed to touch many of the items in the museum, including trilobite fossils, dinosaur eggs, a crocodile skull, and even fossilized dinosaur poop. The tour included a workshop during which the kids got to make their own mineral/fossil display boxes. The kids had a blast!

After the museum, we headed over to McDonald's for Happy Meals, presents, and Giant-Chocolate-Chip-Birthday cookie. Andrew was so happy and was especially pleased that most of his presents were science kits.

Here are some pictures:

The name of the museum...

Andrew ponders this collection of minerals and fossils.

The kids loved being able to hold some of the items.

From this angle, it looks like Simeon is going to get eaten by the Triceratops head... don't worry, he's oky. This head is actually made out of fiberglass, a real head would cost millions of dollars.

I forget what this guy is... an Allosaurus, maybe. These are real fossils.

A Saber-Toothed Tiger (we learned that they are really called saber-toothed cats). Also real fossils... Here Kitty, Kitty...

Real dinosaur eggs... these days, taking these out of the country of origin will get you thrown in some third-world prison.

No... they are not going to hatch.

The highlight of the tour... fossilized dinosaur poop!

Making their own fossil/mineral kits... way cool!

Andrew couldn't wait to add this to his own Bedroom Museum.

Each kid got to take their kit home. Andrew is not in this one... he didn't want to have his picture taken anymore.

And More Tid-Bits

2008-04-29T21:55:00.000-07:00

Still too busy to sit down and blog about all the things I want to get out. So, here are some glimpses of my life this week:

1. We had Andrew's "family birthday party" on Sunday. Both sets of Grandparents were there (of course), two sets of Aunts/Uncles, cousins, and us. It went very well. I was organized, the house was clean, the backyard was beautiful (thanks to Matt), and Andrew was a happy guy. I even made stuff: Strawberries drizzled with white and dark chocolate, onion dip, and raspberry iced tea. The strawberries were a hit, the onion dip got devoured, and I forgot to put out the iced tea so I'm enjoying it myself. Here are a few pictures:

2. Those cute caterpillars my students found ended up being cannibalistic so we got rid of all of them but one. The chrysalis that was there last week got eaten by the other evil caterpillars but there is a new one and we're checking daily to see what comes out. I have a Stephen King image of a demon, fanged, blood-thirsty butterfly emerging from the chrysalis one of these mornings. I'll let you know (but if you don't hear from me soon, assume I've fallen victim to the Cujo of all butterflies).

3. Nathaniel is sick again. Cold, fever, runny poopies. Will my youngest ever be healthy for longer than a month at a time????

4. Andrew has a girlfriend. Her name is Mia. I asked him what makes her his "girlfriend". He explained that he likes her and she likes him- so she is his girlfriend. When I asked what she is like he told me, "She has long hair.... wears different shirts... and is naughty." 'Nuff said.

5. The Classical Academy (the part home/part regular school) wouldn't tell me where Andrew is on the wait list. She could only tell me there are six on the list for first grade and he is in the middle of the list. I asked her if that meant he was number 3.5 (I was feeling bitchy) and she still wouldn't tell me. Grrrr...

6. On the Heritage Charter School list, he is number 2 now (down from number 4). And-gasp!- they told me that information without hesitation. I like that.

7. I think I'm officially in love with Target.

8. My little brother and sister-in-law are pregnant. I'm so excited! We need a girl in the family... think pink... think pink.

9. I love when I see Daddies who are not afraid to carry their babies in a Baby Bjorn (or any type of carrier). So sweet!

10. Nate's preschool teacher found a baby bird on the playground. It couldn't fly yet and was in danger of being stepped on, run over by tricycles, or loved to death. She put it in a little plastic tub. I put the baby on a tree limb so the mommy could get him flying once the kids were gone.
It was all very intriguing. Now Nate thinks he is a baby bird. He wakes up and "chirps". We drive to school and he "chirps". He chirps more than he talks! I'm wondering if I should start finding worms to regurgitate into his mouth. Hmmmm...

So, that's it for now! In just 54 days, 16 hours, and 45 minutes I will be a Stay-at-Home-Mom again. That means I will have lots of time to blog. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.... excuse me while I choke on the laughter generated by that comment! And that's OK! I can't wait to be a full-time Mommy again... even though it's the hardest job I've ever had!

Tidbits

2008-04-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy with work and family the past couple weeks, I haven't had time to blog (I miss it!). Here are a few things that are/have been happening in my life:

1. Nate has another ear infection. Tubes? Remind me why we did that surgery...

2. Andrew turned six on Thursday. I'm such a flake these days that I was out shopping for his birthday presents at 9:00 p.m. Wednesday night. Thank God for Target! I did make cupcakes for his class, though. Woo hoo... sometimes I rock!

3. Wednesday night, after my frenzied birthday shopping, I figured I had just enough time to wax my eyebrows. I ended up being in too much of a hurry-- and the glass of wine didn't help-- I carelessly got too much wax on my eyebrow. I ripped the hair out, only to discover that I took a chunk of the middle of my left eyebrow with it. Thank God for eyebrow pencils!

Before eyebrow pencil...

After eyebrow pencil...

4. A couple of my students found some caterpillars on the bushes on the playground. We are now housing about 7 squirmy, hungry, spiky caterpillars. The students chose the names: Chico, Mr. Pickles, Spike Jr., Slash, Dot, Monkey, and Spike Sr. One has already turned into a chrysalis... I hope it's a butterfly and not a moth.

5. I went to a meeting for Heritage Charter School parents' meeting on Thursday night (Andrew is number 4 on the waiting list for 1st grade). Very interesting. Is that the place for us? IF we get in, I think it will be. There are about 700 people on the school-wide waiting list.

6. I've been so exhausted lately. Why? I don't know!

7. I'm getting to the end of my school year... I'm making lessons plans up to the last week of school already!

8. I'm trying to plan a kids' birthday party for Andrew's birthday. Uh, yes... I know it was on Thursday. Did I mention I've been a complete flake these days? Anyway, the plan is to have it at a private museum, here in town. The museum owner has dinosaur fossils and lots of other cool stuff. Andrew is so excited! Remember, this is the kid who has his very own "museum" in his room.

9. Nathaniel can do a perfect-10 somersault. I need to get that scrappy little guy in gymnastics!

10. My husband is still wavering in his support of me getting a tattoo. I still really want to get one.

So, there ya go! These are all the topics I would devote entire blogs to but I don't have time.

Here are a few pictures of Andrew's birthday.

This was the morning of Andrew's birthday. He was a happy boy with more Indiana Jones Legos to add to his collection.

I guess the cupcakes were yummy enough for a bunch of kindergarteners to eat up!

At Red Robin... a great place to bring kids! And they bring out a Sundae for the Birthday Boy.

I found this while I was searching for the birthday pics. I think I just realized why I've been so exhausted! That's the Mommy & Daddy bed... notice the lack of space?

"Just" Mom for a Day

2008-04-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

My youngest, Nate, was sick yesterday. I ended up taking the day off of work to take care of him. In addition to taking care of the symptoms of Nate's upset tummy (no details needed), the day was busy with cleaning, laundry, dishes, and de-cluttering the house.

As the day came to an end, I started to see the differences between being "just" a mom and being a "working" mom. While the person hasn't changed, the roles of each position are vastly different. Here's what I mean:

Working Mom (WM): Get up, get ready for work. Wake the boys up, rush around to get them ready for school.
Just Mom (JM): Wake up, snuggle with the boys until they are ready to get up.

WM: Inhale breakfast. Find something the boys can eat in the van on the way to school.
JM: Enjoy a healthy breakfast. Make breakfast for the boys... a real breakfast, complete with Flinstone's multi-vitamins and juice.

WM: Grab last-minute items & necessities. Struggle, yell, and beg in order to get the boys into the van.
JM: While the boys eat their well-balanced breakfast, peruse school notes, sign field trip permission slips, read the teacher's weekly newsletter, savor a cup of hot coffee.

WM: Drive to work/school, cursing the traffic lights and slow drivers. Put lip gloss on, dig around in my multiple bags to make sure I didn't forget the keys to my classroom. Try to figure out if my kindergartener is serious when he informs me that his field trip money and permission slip are due that day. Curse myself and my parenting skills when I realize he's telling me the truth.
JM: Kiss the husband and kindergartener good-bye after making sure they have everything they need for the day.

WM: Late for work (again!). Send Andrew to the playground with the rest of the K-3rd graders with kisses and promises to pick him up right after school. Take Nate to his preschool room...promise to pick him up after nap-time, peel him off my legs, pick him up because he looks sad. Give lots of kisses and squeezes until he feels better. Rush to my classroom to get ready for the day with other people's kids.
JM: Spend the morning comforting and snuggling with Nate as we watch reruns of Wow! Wow! Wubzy.

WM: Work, work, work
JM: Wash breakfast dishes, put laundry in washer

WM: Deter students from going to the office for ice packs, cough drops, etc.
JM: Laundry (including putting clean clothes away!)

WM: Count down the minutes until a quick Starbuck's run during lunch break.
JM: Play "Animal Doctor" with Nate, laundry

WM: Make contact with my local dealer for my liquid stimulant
JM: Make lunch for myself and Nate (who doesn't eat)

WM: Teach, nurse, settle disputes
JM: Laundry, wash floor (and realize I can't remember the last time I washed it!)

WM: Send students home or to after school care
JM: Pick Andrew up from school (early) and go home.

WM: Get the boys, finish up work stuff, wonder what the heck I'm going to make for dinner.
JM: Get home, let the boys play in the back yard, check on the dinner cooking in the Crock Pot, decide on side-dishes. Do laundry.

WM: Get home, let the boys crash on the couch. Order pizza delivery. Scale the Mount Everest-sized piles of laundry in order to air out the house by opening windows.
JM: Look forward to the Hubby getting home.

WM: Do a load of laundry... all boys' clothes. Wait for the Hubby and/or the Pizza Guy (at this point either one will do!).
JM: Be happy that all the laundry is washed, dried, and put away. Kiss the Hubby when he walks in and announce that dinner will be ready soon.

WM: Forget to put the wet, clean clothes in the dryer. Kiss the Pizza Guy when he arrives and announce that dinner is ready when Hubby walks in the door.
JM: Enjoy a nice dinner with my guys.

WM: Rush through dinner, Hubby cleans up. Finally put clothes in dryer and start another load (which will sit there until the next day).
JM: Bath time, play time, etc.

WM: Bath time, bed time, feel guilty that I'm not grading papers or making lesson plans
JM: Iron clothes, relax, talk to Hubby.

WM: Stay up too late, go to bed and fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.
JM: Stay up too late, go to bed, and have enough energy to... well, you know.

OK, I admit... a lot of this is exaggerated. I don't really kiss the Pizza Guy! And in reality, being "Just" Mom is not always relaxing, satisfying, or productive. In reality, "Just" Moms don't always have clean homes, happy, healthy kids, and sexually satisfied husbands.

In my experience, however, trying to work full-time and then coming home and being Mommy is like trying to pick up one of those slippery, tube-shaped, gel-filled novelty toys-- just when you think you've got a hold of it, it slides out of your hands and falls to the floor. It's so difficult to do it all successfully!

Also, I realize that some Moms have to work. It's not easy these days to be able to pay for all that life throws at you. For those Moms, I have to say: Hang in there! I don't know how you manage it. At least I have an end in sight. I'm almost at the end of my contract (June 13th) and after that, I am blessed to have the option to not work.

So, there it is... how the "Just" Mom me differs from the "Working" Mom me. I didn't appreciate being "just" a mommy before I chose to go back to work. While life won't be perfect when I'm done with this school year (it never is), I feel confident that I will make better use of my time with my kids and around the house. I know I will appreciate my full-time job as Just Mom once I claim that title in 66 days, 7 hours, 51 minutes and 36 seconds.

But who's counting?

A New Milestone

2008-03-23T20:41:00.000-07:00

My little boy, Andrew, read a book to me tonight! Really read--not just recited the story from memory. I figured he would be able to read it based on the book's simple phonics and "sight words" that he already knows. Still, I was so amazed as I listened to him sound out some of the words and freely read others. I can't believe how grown up he is getting.

I love reading so much and still remember the day I figured out that I could put letter sounds together to read words. It may sound strange, but I've always looked forward to the day my kids would find the joy of reading on their own.

I'm one proud momma!

Sometimes It's the Little Things

2008-03-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

The boys are in bed, Matt is practicing his guitar, the dishes are washed, laundry still needs to be put away (but it always needs to be put away!), and I finally get to sit down and blog. I've been wanting to blog for several days but just haven't had the time or the energy.

Also, I felt like there wasn't much to share. But, as the boys ran outside to watch the street sweeper this afternoon, I realized that life is not a trip to Disneyland. It's not a beach. Nor is it always an intriguing event just waiting to be blogged. Life is about all the little, normal things we do each day. Real life is subtle, routine, and sometimes boring.

It is in these types of days that we find all the little treasures that make life what it is.

Here are just a few of the most recent treasures I've discovered... this is what life is:

Seeing so much of your husband when you look at your son.

Enjoying the oranges from your very own tree.

Witnessing a four-boy pile-up on the slide.

And another...

Falling asleep when ever, where ever.

Taking a break from playing to be in awe of the street sweeper.

Being allowed free admission to your 5-year-old's Bedroom Museum.

If you look closely, you can see the dinosaur section, the Egyptian section, the shell section and the insect section... what you don't see are the rocks in his bed, the pine cones on the floor (ouch!), and the Pirate Treasure in the closet.

So, this is life. Sometimes it's exciting. Sometimes it's boring. Sometimes it just is. God gave me this life and the people in it. I love it and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

One of My Favorite Places

2008-03-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday my husband surprised me by announcing that we all ought to go up to the mountains. I was surprised because it's not usually in Matt's nature to be spontaneous like that. He is also not the outdoorsy type. So, I was very happy-- I thrive on spontaneity and I love the outdoors.

We agreed to take the boys to Palomar Mountain. When I was little, we used to spend every other weekend up there camping, hiking, and fishing. I love the place for its beauty and for the memories it stirs up in my mind.

We had so much fun! We walked around the pond where I used to catch and release blue gills. We even started out on the hike we used to do when I was little. We couldn't go as far as I would have liked because there are too many streams running through the trail this time of year.

Aside from the large burned out areas from the last wild fire, it's amazing how little the area has changed. It was almost surreal to ponder how I was bringing my children to the same place where I used to explore, find bugs, pick cattails, and climb rocks when I was their age.

The boys had tons of fun. And so did I! I think Andrew and I might even be able to convince Matt to go camping up there this summer. I'll keep you posted on that... that would be a real shocker!

We found this little place in Valley Center...
very cute inside and YUMMY French Fries!

The bridge to Doane's Pond...

Stick Races

Nate found this hiking stick.

The boys call this "Mommy's Hike"

Palomar Observatory

Some of the burned-out area...
see the clouds below?

If You Give a Mom a Day Off

2008-03-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

This blog is written in the style of If You a Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, If you Take a Mouse to School, and If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff. We love these stories and I often realize how very much my life runs like the story-line of the characters.

This is really how my day went today...enjoy!

If You Give a Mom a Day Off

If you give a mom a day off, chances are she'll look around the house and realize it's been neglected far too long. So she'll decide to clean up. She'll make a list of things to do. After a few revisions to the list, she'll decide to start with the laundry.

So she will go into her boys' rooms to remove the sheets from their beds. While she is in her older boy's room, she'll notice that Hurricane Andrew blew through during the night. Since her boy is sick, she will start to pick up the mess.

As she picks up the mess, she might realize that the room would look much better with the dresser against "that" wall, the bookcase on the other side of the window, and the bed centered in the room. So, she will start to slide all the Legos, Lincoln Logs, Hotwheels, and Science Stuff out of the room and into the hallway. All the noise and commotion will bring the boys running into the room to see what's happening.

The boys will decide Mommy is more interesting to watch than the tree shredder a few door down so they'll stand in her way and offer suggestions. As they watch, she will attempt to move the ten-story Lego house out of the bedroom and into the hallway. Halfway through the process, the Lego house will come crashing down into tiny little pieces. This will make the older boy cry so she will remind him that she is the one who built it and promises to put it back together later. To make him stop crying, she will promise to make it even better than it was before.

Once the floor is cleared of all debris, she will start pulling the drawers out of the dresser in order to move it. When she moves the dresser, she will notice there are gems, mummies, dinosaurs, marbles and pirate money on the floor where the dresser used to be. So she will start to clean up the mess.

As she sorts the gems, mummies, etc., she might notice that many of the gems are really pieces of blacktop and nondescript rocks from the sandbox at school. So she will slyly separate those "gems" from the other stuff so she can throw them away when the boys aren't looking.

After the dresser is moved, she will be able to move the bed. After pulling the bed away from the wall, she will notice that there are even more treasures to clean up and "sort". Once that is taken care of, she will be able to move the bookcase.

Just before she moves the bookcase, she might notice that she will need to remove a shelf that is screwed into the wall where she wants the bookcase to go. So she will get one of her husband's screwdrivers and attempt to take out the screws holding the shelf in place.

She will discover that the people who lived in the house before used industrial-strength screws to attach things to walls. So she will try even harder. She will successfully remove two of the four screws but realizes the final two are not going to budge. So she will pull and the screws will come out of the wall, along with the drywall attached to them.

So she will go out to the garage to get the spackling compound. She will patch up the holes in the drywall and notice some other spots left by the screw-happy, previous owners. She will spackle those areas, also. She wonders if she ought to touch up the areas with paint and wisely decides to wait for another day.

She will move the bookcase to its new location and look around. She will notice that the arrangement looks good but it is still just as messy. So she will start cleaning up the mess. After the room is dusted, vacuumed, and organized she will take a break.

When she sits down and waits for her emails to load, she will take a look around. As she looks around, she will noticed that the rest of the house is still a mess. And chances are, if she notices the house is still a mess, she'll want another "day off".

The Dead Man

2008-02-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of when I found a dead man lying in a field. It was one of the strangest, most disturbing things that have encountered in my life. Here's the story:

I had taken the boys to the park for a fun morning of playing and looking at bugs. After that, we went to Costco to do some shopping. We were on our way home when we passed by a vacant lot, which is more like a grassy field. I noticed what looked like a person lying in the grass as we passed by. I continued on my way home, assuming it was a druggie taking a nap. Slowly, it dawned on me that the man was wearing a track suit and a Charger cap...not the typical attire for homeless drug addicts.

I started to feel pangs of guilt as I debated turning around to make sure the guy was OK. The day before, the sermon at church was all about the Good Samaritan and how we shouldn't neglect opportunities to help others. About two blocks away, I made a U-turn and headed back toward the grassy field. I drove by again and the man was still in the same position. I decided to call 911.

As I was on the phone with the operator, I kept circling the block in order to give a description of the man and the exact location. Why didn't I stop and get out? Well, I didn't at first because I had the boys with me and I would have to stop, get out of the van, leave them in the van, walk several feet away to a strange man-- who for all I knew could have a gun and was waiting to ambush some innocent woman.

After the 911 operator assured me the police were on their way, I drove by one more time and noticed another car that had stopped. The driver was a woman and she looked uncertain as to what to do. I pulled over this time and told her I had called 911. We decided we felt safe walking up together to see if the man was still alive.

Here's the field where we found him:

We walked up and got close enough to see that he was dead. What I remember most were his eyes. I'll never forget them...they were open but there was absolutely no life left in them. We called out to the man but we both knew it was too late.

It also really shook me when I noticed that he had a wedding band on his finger. I realized somebody had lost a husband and maybe a father that day. At about that time, a police man arrived. He made sure we didn't touch anything and sent us on our way. I assumed he had been out exercising and had suffered a heart attack.

By the time I got home, after answering as many of Andrew's questions as I could, there was a message on my machine from the police asking that I return to the site of the body. I loaded the boys back into the van and drove back to the location.

There were three fire trucks, a couple ambulances, and about five police cars parked along the road where we found the man. I got out of the van and I admit that I was scared. Part of me was worried that I was in trouble for some reason... that they would consider me a suspect. Too much CSI, I guess.

It turns out they just wanted to find out how close we had gotten to the body, if we touched anything, if we saw anything suspicious, and so on. The policewoman explained that it looked like a suicide. I was shocked! First of all, I didn't see a gun or any blood. Secondly, I couldn't figure out why anyone would choose such a busy intersection to kill themselves.

Well, according to the newspaper story the next morning, he did have a gun. I guess we just didn't see it. He had fallen (or placed himself?) on his back so the blood drained out the back, which is why we didn't see any blood.

I hate suicide. I think it is such a selfish, hurtful thing to do to those who love you. I feel sad for the man and angry at the same time. And I didn't even know him! I guess I resent that he left himself to be found by just anyone. What if a child had found him? I still remember his face and his eyes, I can only imagine what this image might have done to a child. We drive by this field often and almost every time we do, Andrew points it out and says, "Mommy, that's where we found the dead guy, isn't it?" Sometimes he still asks about the man and what happened to him.

Here it is a year later and I still feel emotional about it. Maybe that's because I've known too many people who have committed suicide. My own mom attempted suicide when I was about six years old. She didn't succeed but guess who was the one to find her, lying helpless on the floor? Me. My mom has done lots of things that no mom should do and I don't hold grudges about any of them...except for that. You don't do that to your child.

So, back to the dead man. I never found out his name. Why he took his life. Who he left behind. Why he chose that location to do it. I just know him as the "Dead Guy". I wish I could have done something for him. I hope he's found peace. Mostly, I hope his loved ones are recovering from their loss. Maybe tomorrow I'll leave some flowers where I found him... or maybe I won't.

Ain't Gonna Paint No More?

2008-02-24T22:19:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I ordered a book from the Scholastic Book order at school. It looked like a funny book...and it is. The funniest part about it is, it's almost like the author lives in our house. Or maybe has a little one like Nate.

The book is called I Ain't Gonna Paint No More. It's about a little boy who can't resist painting every part of his body. If you want, you can sing it...it's set to the tune of "It Ain't Gonna Rain No More".

This is the book:

Here's Nate:

This time, it was just his arms and hands...given the opportunity, he will include his hair, neck, and face. Just like the kid in the book! Not surprisingly, Nate adores the book and wants me to read it to him everyday. Silly boy!

How I Got a Date with the Pizza Delivery Guy and Other Random Stuff

2008-02-22T22:29:00.000-08:00

Today we had a pajama/pizza party for my third grade students. This was a reward for good behavior. Anyway, Matt has Fridays off so I asked him to pick up the pizzas from Costco. I mentioned to my students that the pizza would get to class around 12:20 and that I had a date with the pizza guy tonight. Silence. Then one little girl asks, "Won't your husband get mad?" Hee hee... a few of the less naive kids figured out that my husband is the "pizza guy". Sigh... I love messing with my students' minds.

The other day when I was bringing in the paperwork to get Andrew's name in the lottery for Charter School, I tried to explain to him what a Charter School is. He was uncharacteristically quiet the rest of the way to the school.
As we pulled into the parking lot, Andrew asks, "Mommy, do I have to play football here?" I answered, "No...I think only the big kids play football. Why?" His answer was, "Because it's Charger School." Ha! (Guess which team support...)

For some reason, Nate is fascinated with what is inside people. Several times a day he'll ask, "Mommy? What's in Mommy's tummy? Mommy? What's in Mommy's head? Mommy? What's in Mommy's neck?" And so on. He knows enough to remind us that there are bones, muscles, brain, and "dinner". I'm hoping this fascination means he'll be a top-notch surgeon some day. On the other hand, I worry that he might someday kill us in our sleep just to see the bones, muscles, brain, and dinner first-hand. Should we be scared? lol...

Possibilities?

2008-02-22T13:45:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm planning on not returning to work in the fall, we will not receive free tuition at our current private school. Right now, the boys are able to attend the school for free because I'm a full-time teacher there. This, by the way, is a great fringe benefit of working where I do (worth about $10,000 a year for both boys).

So, we are now trying to make decisions regarding where to send Andrew for first grade in the fall. We cannot afford private school tuition if I don't work. So, what to do?

Here are a few possibilities that we are praying will work out for us:

1. Heritage Charter School This is a full time school (in other words, no home-schooling). We had to put Andrew's name into a lottery. Too many people want to get in so they have to draw names to fill any open spots at the school.

2. The Classical Academy This school is a home-school based program. There are two options, depending on what's open and what the parents prefer.

A/B Track- The kids go to regular class, with a regular teacher two days a week- either Mon. & Wed. or Tues. & Thus. The other three days, they are home-schooled. Students are also able to take enrichment courses on Fridays (like Latin, Spanish, guitar, drama).

C-Track- The kids are home-schooled five days a week. The parents get to choose the curriculum. They get $400.00 a year to purchase the curriculum they would like to use (as long as it's non-religious). Every home-school family gets hooked up with an "Instructional Specialist" who helps them pick out the right curriculum for their child. Families meet with their "IS" several times during the school year to monitor progress, discuss any issues, teaching strategies, etc. These kids are also allotted $55 a month to help off-set any costs for activities like sports or music lessons. The C-Track students are also given enrichment opportunities throughout the week, including the Friday labs.

Like Heritage, this school doesn't have room for all the families who want to get into the school. So, again... we are entered into another lottery.

At this point, public school is not an option (I've taught in public school and most- but not all-of them are a mess!). I'll gladly take any of these alternative schooling options. I just hope we get our names pulled for at least one of them!

I'll keep you posted. Both schools are doing their lotteries in March so I should know something by the end of March. Pray for us! :-)

Our Day at LegoLand

2008-02-17T22:34:00.000-08:00

It seems like it's been forever since we've been to Legoland. I finally renewed our passes. We had a four-day weekend so I decided to take the boys on Friday, hoping it wouldn't be as crowded as it will probably be on Monday.

It was a great day to go! The weather was nice and it wasn't too crowded. I ended up having to carry Nate almost the whole time we were there, but other than that, we had a great time.

Andrew was excited that he is as tall as the highest rung on the ride scale. At 48", he is tall enough to ride most of the rides at the park. My little man is not a big fan of roller coasters, though, so being tall enough won't be a life-altering experience. Bummer. I hope the other kid likes roller coasters...I need a roller coaster buddy!

The boys love the fossil digging area... Andrew, so he can pretend to be the scientist he so badly wants to be. Nate, so he can dig and dig and fill his shoes with sand.

See that bucket? I had to fight off countless preschool-age kids to keep them from stealing Nate's bucket. "Don't mess with my kid, pipsqueak!" I even told one of them to tell their mom to fork over their own money for their own bucket set! Ha! Put that in your pipe and smoke it, kid!

There's gotta be a better way to lose weight!

Look! It's Egypt... uh, Vegas... er, Legoland..?

Yes, we had lots of fun at Legoland-- as usual... just my guys and me!

OK... one more, in honor of the Presidents' Day holiday. Thank you, George & Abe, for making this all possible. For without your birthdays, I would have been at work on Friday instead of sharing the day with my boys!

Another One Bites the Dust

2008-02-12T11:28:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning and I was feeling the best I've felt in several days. I was even looking forward to my day at work. I was getting my makeup on, wondering if the weather would be as beautiful as yesterday, when it happens: Andrew threw up!

Here we go, again. First Nate... then me... now Andrew. I called in sick (which is going to probably mean almost $200.00 deducted from my next paycheck). The good news is, I was ready for a substitute. I've learned to leave everything out and planned so a sub can come in and take over my class.

Time will tell if Matt is going to come down with this stomach bug. But then, he's such a germiphobe that he might be the only one in our house who doesn't get it.

This is pretty much how we spent our day... Andrew, miserable on the couch & watching TV. Me, trying to keep Nate out of trouble. What you don't see is the big pile of laundry that need to be put away.

My Baby Turns Three

2008-01-18T22:03:00.000-08:00

Three years ago-to the minute- I was in the hospital, coming off a morphine high, feeling so tired I was almost numb. But I was happy. Why? My second boy was finally in my arms. He was born earlier that day, after a scheduled c-section. I loved him the minute I found out I was pregnant with him. That love grew even stronger when I saw him for the first time. The first time I held him was a beautiful moment I will never forget.

Today, he turned three. He is healthy, busy, noisy, affectionate, funny, and musically inclined. It's amazing how quickly babies grow! It's fun to see how much babies change as they get bigger. At the same time, it's mind-boggling how little their personalities change as the years go by.

Happy birthday to my sweet little Nathaniel (aka Mr. Big Stuff). I love you. You bring more joy to my life than you'll every know. I can't say you're an easy child, but you are so worth it! I thank God for you!

My Third Child

2008-01-16T20:51:00.000-08:00

I have three children. My husband and I conceived two of them. I had the same two pulled out of my uterus via c-section. Two were planned, received all the appropriate prenatal care, and were named by my husband and myself.

So where did our so-called third child come from? Well, I made him. No, I do not have the ability to self-reproduce. I took two pieces of soft fabric cut them into squares, cut fringe-pieces, knotted them together, and -voila!- made a blanket for my baby boy, Nathaniel.

I had no idea, at the time, how attached Nate would become to his "blankie". Since I am as opposite from Martha Stewart as anyone can get, I made the blankie way too big. I mean, it was huge! That was not a problem until Nate decided he had to bring the blankie everywhere with him-- the grocery store, church, Grandma's, the doctor's office, and... well, you get the idea. It got to be such a burden, especially since I had to carry Nate and his blankie practically everywhere we went.

So, one day I took a chance. I cut the giant blankie into two pieces. I meant to cut it in half, but like I said, I'm no Martha Stewart. What I ended up with was a big blankie and a small blankie.
I was worried that Nate would freak out when he saw what I did to his beloved blankie that afternoon while he was out back playing. Not at all! He was excited to have not just one blankie but two!

Which brings me back to my "third child". Nate has latched on to that small blankie and treats it like his best friend. He named it Baby a long time ago (the big "half" is called Daddy). Baby has developed a personality of his own, he goes pee-pee on the potty, he has emotions, goes everywhere with us, and even has the same birthday as Nathaniel.

Almost all of our special pictures (ie. with Santa) include Baby. Nate introduces Baby to everyone we meet... the cashiers at the grocery store, doctors, receptionists, and total strangers. When Nate is sick, Baby is also sick. Baby eats dinner with us, reads with us, and goes to church with us. He even gives me good-night kisses at bedtime. Baby tells me he loves me and cries when Nate can't find him.

So, today when Nate went to Children's Hospital for surgery to put tubes in his ears, Baby had the same procedure. He even got his own admission sticker to wear in the surgery room. Nate was so pleased that Baby would be able to go with him. We couldn't be with Nate during the procedure so it was comforting to know that Baby would be there with him when they put Nate under anesthesia and when he woke up.

I'm happy to say that both Nate and Baby are doing well. Both are as busy and happy as always.

I didn't plan on having three children and I doubt I will have three children once Nate outgrows his attachment to Baby. Nate's fleecey companion will most likely end up in a keepsake box one day. But, we will always have the fun memories of Nate and Baby... and of course, the family pictures. One day it will be fun to tell Nate all about his Baby and how much he loved it.

In the meantime, Nate and Baby have their birthday on Friday. I know what to get Nate but what the heck do I get Baby?!

Streets of Gold... Sidewalks of ???

2008-01-12T21:40:00.000-08:00

Here's a transcript of a conversation I had today with Andrew, my 5 year old, on our way to Chuck E. Cheese...

Andrew: Mommy, did you know that the streets in Heaven are made out of gold?

Me: Yes, I did know that.

Andrew: (Surprised) You did?!

Me: Yes! How do you know that?

Andrew: Grandma told me.

Me: Ohhhh... that's good. When I was little, I used to think I'd chip chunks of gold out of the street when I get to Heaven.

Andrew: Laughs...

Silence for a minute or two (which is rare when it comes to Andrew).

Andrew: Mommy?

Me: Yes?

Andrew: What are the sidewalks made out of?!

Ha, ha... my turn to laugh. He's such a Thinker!

A Few of My Favorite Things

2008-01-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

This is a repost from my MySpace blog

Fresh-out-of-the-tub little boys.
How Nate fits so perfectly in my arms when we snuggle.
Hearing his bubbly laughter.
The messes he makes every time he eats.
Nibbling on two-year old ears.
The way Nate sings "The Bear Necessities"

That my guys love Scooby Doo.
Making Andrew laugh.
The way he takes life so seriously.
His great sense of humor.
A five year old's imagination.
When Andrew says, "I love you, Mommy."

Beach sand between my toes.
Flip-Flops.
Toenail polish.
Foot massages.
Ladybugs.
Mounds Bar Frozen Yogurt from Golden Spoon.

Fuzzy things.
Cute, comfy jammies.
A good book to read.
Not having to go anywhere on a cold, rainy day.
Eggnog Lattes from Starbuck's.
My big, red, cozy blankie.

Pretty undies.
White daisies.
MAC Makeup
Pink Grapefruit bath stuff from Bath and Body Works.
Color
Dangly earrings.

Powder-Blue at the Harley Davidson dealership
Corona, lime, and live music.
Pushing buttons
Change
The look on peoples' faces when they realize I'm not what they thought.
Good music, turned up loud.

Being treated like a woman
Feeling safe
Public displays of affection
Having fun together
Respect
Sharing laughter

Lies, Deceit, and Little Elves

2008-01-06T14:14:00.000-08:00

This is a repost from my MySpace blogs

Dear Boys,
By the time you are able to read this, the following confessions won't matter much to you anymore. That's why I'm going to spill the beans about what Mommies (and Daddies) really do just to survive parenthood.

1. Remember all your Kids' Meals toys from the various fast food places in town? You wondered where they all went. Well, I threw them away.

2. You wondered what happened to all your Halloween candy and I told you that you ate it all. Well, actually, Mommy and Daddy ate most of it after you were in bed.

3. There was that day you wanted to go to Balboa Park to visit the Space Museum. I didn't feel like driving down there so I told you it was closed due to the wild fires. Well, since the fires had been out for almost a week, it just wasn't true.

4. You know how Daddy told you that smoking makes your penis fall off? Sorry-- I didn't really agree with that approach but you have to admit it was kind of funny... until you started pointing at every man you saw who was smoking and asking in a loud voice if his penis was going to fall off.

5. Remember all those times when we were out doing errands and you weren't following me? Remember how I said, "Bye-bye... I guess you're staying here." Well, I was bluffing. I would never have left you all by yourself!

6. I told you once that it's fun to go to the dentist. Well, it isn't.

7. Then there was that time I told you little elves came to clean your room. Well, truthfully, I cleaned it. I was just tired of the giant mess and knew you were going to argue and whine about about having to clean it. I just wasn't in the mood for that.

8. I know you still wonder where most of your unused toys went. Well, remember how amazed you were to discover that the church nursery has many of the same toys you used to have? That's not a coincidence.

9. Remember when your treasured blankie started to fall apart in strips so long, I was afraid you'd strangle yourself in your sleep? One morning, you woke up and someone had cut the long strip off and you noticed right away? Well, I was the one who cut it off, even though I acted just as surprised and offended as you.

10. You know those Starbucks Frapuccinos Mommy drinks sometimes? I told you that they taste yucky to little boys because they taste like coffee. Well, they don't taste much like coffee and I'm sure you'd LOVE them. I just wanted one thing in my life I could call my own and not have to share. Plus, you don't need the caffeine!

There you go. I feel much better now that I've gotten all that off my conscience. Yes, parents sometimes tell untruths and sometimes we do things that just aren't fair. That's just how it is. And in the end, it's all for your own good. Just ask the little elves!

Love,
Mommy

Wasn't My Kid...This Time, Anyway!

2008-01-03T20:41:00.000-08:00

Today, I was at the doctor's office with my two boys. Our appointment was finished and I was completing some paperwork when all of a sudden, the building's fire alarm started ringing and lights were flashing.

It turns out one of the children in the waiting room pulled the alarm switch. The receptionist saw the whole thing. The ear-splitting noise made everyone in the waiting room uncomfortable and the nurses and receptionists scurried around, trying to contact the person with the right key to turn off the alarm. Meanwhile, the staff and patients in the surrounding offices who didn't know it was a false alarm were evacuating the building.

As I looked around to see who was responsible for the ruckus, I saw a woman holding a little boy. The poor woman... she looked like she had had a horrible day and this was just the incident to send her over the edge. It actually looked like she was crying and she kept apologizing to the people in the waiting room and to the staff.

Ugh! I felt bad for this poor woman and I tried to send her a "it happens to all of us" smile. At the same time, I must admit, I was also smiling because I was happy. Happy in the knowledge that, for once, it wasn't one of my kids who was the cause of such chaos.

I hope she's laughing about the whole crazy scene now. Sometimes, that's the only thing a mom can do.

Top 10 Things I've Learned as a Mom to Boys

2008-01-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

I grew up with brothers. So, I figured I pretty much knew everything there is to know about boys. I've since discovered that what I thought I knew is minuscule compared to what I would learn after having two boys of my own. Here are just a few discoveries I've made since becoming a Mom to boys:

10. Boys are noisy. I don't necessarily mean loud, I mean that they are responsible for all kinds of noises. The obvious ones, of course, are related to eating and digestion. Then there are their "tools", like play drills and buzz-saws. They have toy fire trucks, police cars, fighter jets, and helicopters. These are equipped with buttons to push and these buttons set off shrill and/or loud sirens, mock gun-fire, or the put-put-put sound rotating blades. If the toys don't come equipped to make noise, no worry... boys are good at making up their own sound effects.

9. It's funny... no, hilarious to fart in the tub. Enough said.

8. Worms still squirm after they've been pulled into two pieces. This, I discovered after Andrew accidentally pulled apart "Charlie", a worm he had found. "Mommy, Charlie broke." This was how my oldest, who was three at the time, informed me of the tragedy.

7. It's not easy to aim in the right direction when using the restroom. Again, enough said.

6. Dirt tastes good. Or so it seems, based on the amount of dirt my youngest boy consumed before he turned two.

5. Legos are evil. Don't get me wrong... I love Legos! I've come to realize, however, that when Legos are allowed to escape the confines of their box or their put-together sets, they place themselves in very strategic places. Places that are just right for causing great pain as an unsuspecting bare foot comes right down on top of them.

4. Boys like Boobies. I know, it seems obvious but I assumed that boys wouldn't care much about breasts until they hit puberty. Apparently, it starts much younger than that. My first encounter with this phenomenon was when I took my older boy with me to Nordstrom. As I was looking for a bra in the lingerie department, I looked down to see Andrew squeezing the pre-formed bras. A second later he was shouting, "Boobies, Mommy, boobies! I love boobies!!" It's a good thing I don't embarrass easily because I'm sure everyone in the store heard it, including two young salesgirls who were trying unsuccessfully not to laugh. Nate has a similar obsession with breasts but I'll save those stories for another time.

3. Boys collect all kinds of "treasures". And it all ends up in the washing machine. You would think I'd learn to check pockets prior to putting clothes in the washer. Maybe I'm forgetful. Or maybe I'm just afraid to stick my hands into my boys' pockets. Either way, the result is I've pulled all kinds of items out of the washer including, rocks (lots of rocks!), sticks, Hot Wheels, sea shells, plastic lizards, plastic frogs, bolts, springs, wood chips, baby pine cones, and items of unknown origin.

2. Boys love to wrestle. Usually, Daddy is the one to wrestle with but if he's not available, they're happy to give ol' Mommy a try. If Mommy can't do it, they will wrestle with each other... that usually ends up in screaming, hitting, and tears.

1. If it looks like poop and it smells like poop, don't assume your boy won't try to taste it. Yes, yes... it's true. We found out the hard way after Nate found opossum poop in our backyard. Let's just say that Poison Control received at least one interesting call that day!

Being a Mommy to boys is an adventure. A fun, scary, busy, dirty, muddy, snuggly adventure. I've learned more about boys from personal experience than I ever thought I'd learn. And the adventure has just begun. I have years ahead of me (God willing) to discover all kinds of new things! I'm looking forward to it!

Confessions of a working Mom

2007-12-29T21:59:00.000-08:00

I woke up the day after Thanksgiving, realizing that I made a big mistake. No, it wasn't that I ate too much. It wasn't that I forgot to bring apple pie to my parents' house. It wasn't even that I wore the wrong jeans for a day of gluttony.

I realized that I threw aside all my convictions about child-rearing and opted to put my youngest in someone else's care so I could go back to work.

How could this happen? Well, it's easy to convince yourself that something is OK, even when you know it's not. I was bored after almost six years of being a stay-at-home mom. I wanted to escape the demands of my high-maintenance two year old. I wanted to get away from my argumentative five year old. I wanted to be somewhere where I would be appreciated. Where I could talk to "big" people. Where I would receive acknowledgment of a job well-done. I wanted to go back to teaching.

And I love it! I love my students. I love where I work. I love getting a paycheck. I love hearing parents tell me how much their kids like me. I love challenging my brain again (okay, it's third grade but that can be challenging).

And I hate it. I hate dropping my two year old off at the preschool, even though it's the same campus where I work. I hate the look on his face when I wave bye-bye, even though his teacher is wonderful. I hate that I'm so busy in the morning that the only time I have to hand over my five-year-old's glasses is during flag salute and morning prayer. I hate that I forget to read the weekly newsletter his teacher sends home. I hate that I'm so preoccupied with my own students' homework that I don't even look at his.

I had a week off during Thanksgiving. I spent three of those days at a Teachers' Conference and the rest of those days, realizing how much I miss my boys!! I miss snuggling with my baby in the morning. I miss not having to rush out the door and fight traffic. I miss not going on last-minute excursions to the Wild Animal Park or Legoland. I miss being able to give my children the time and attention they need and deserve.

I made a bad decision. Well, that happens. The good news is that I'm honest with myself and am in a position to rectify the problem I created. No, I can't just quit. I signed a contract to teach for a full school year. But, I can make the most of the rest of the school year, doing my best as a teacher. Doing my best as a mommy. Full-filling my obligations as best as I can. Will I be able to give 100 percent to both jobs? No. My boys come first, so they'll receive the best of me. My students will get the rest of the best.

Will it be easy? No. Is there an end in sight? YES! June will be here before I know it. Then I will be back where I belong-- at home.

Any regrets? Of course! I've missed too much. But, with that said, I think I will go back to being a stay-at-home Mommy with a renewed appreciation and a better perspective of what's really important.

If the grass looks greener on the other side, that may be because it is. But who says we need to always be given free access to the green grass? There are seasons in everyone's life when the grass will be less green. It may even appear brown. But seasons pass. We need to graze where we are for the moment. It's only a matter of time before the grass gets green again.

Sigh... live and learn...

Domestic Bliss?

2007-06-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's because I grew up with a stepmom who only knows how to make Tuna Casserole and microwaveable entrees. Maybe it's because my dad was the cook in the family. Or maybe it's because the "joy" of cooking just isn't when I have a two year old clinging to my legs and a five year old who hates everything I make for dinner (unless it's hotdogs... I make a mean hotdog!) Whatever the cause, I have grown to dread the chore of planning and cooking dinner!

I've tried to remedy this by planning and preparing a month's worth of meals. That gets old- fast! I tried out one of those places where you make the meals there and take them home and store them in the freezer. This was great until I realized how much weight my husband and I were gaining. I even contemplated the feasibility of eating out everynight. Not feasible!

So yesterday when my oven made a strange "pop" sound and the heating element changed from red to black while cooking chicken nuggets, I declared to my husband that our oven was dead. D-E-A-D, dead. I realized that with this announcement, I felt a sense of joy. There was even a sense of victory. Why? Afterall, ovens don't grow on trees and it's not like we're rolling in dough, so I don't really look forward to the expense of replacing it.

I'm pretty good at being honest with myself so I realized that I was happy about the oven keeling over on me because now I am off the hook! Picture me in a June Cleaver dress, while I call my hard working husband: "Sweetie, can you please pick up some dinner on your way home from work? I planned to bake this wonderful meal but, as you know, our oven just doesn't work. Sigh" Visions of guilt-free, non-homecooked meals lifted my spirits greatly! Ahhh... sweet release.

As it turns out, we don't need to replace the entire oven- just the heating element. That's good for the budget. The news gets even better: My husband had to order the part on-line and since he wanted to save money, he ordered it via standard delivery. The replacement part isn't expected to arrive until next Monday. I'm sure it will take a couple more days for Matt to find the time to replace it.

Let's see... there's Chinese, pizza delivery, Filippi's "Tueday Special", Rubio's, frozen yogurt, Submarina Sandwiches... so much take-out, so little time. Sigh. Oh, what's a sweet, little housewife to do?

Cinquains by Me

2007-06-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

What are cinquains? Cinquains are a type of poetry. Basically, there are five lines. The first line contains 2 syllables, the second line= 4 syllables, the third line= 6 syllables and- you guessed it- the fourth line= 8 syllables. The last line goes back to 2 syllables.

Please note that this information varies, depending on where you look. The following poems are based on the above description. Give it a try- it's fun!

Lights

I love
when you smile.
Lights grow dim compared to
the illumination you send
to me.

Windows to Me

See me:
Transparency.
Can you see how I feel?
I hope you do. I hope you don't
see me.

Expectations

I know
I'll never be
who I want me to be.
Useless are my efforts to be
perfect.

On Wings Like Eagles

You don't
need me to be
what is impossible.
In my weakness, I find Your strength.
I soar.

Why?

2007-06-18T22:43:00.000-07:00

Why is the sky blue? Why does Daddy work? Why do I have to take a bath? Why is the moon out when it is daytime? Why do I have to sleep? Why is is Target called "Target"? Why don't you home-school me? Why can't Daniel come out to play? Why do they have a cross on our church? Why don't you have a penis? Why do you wear makeup? Why do you shave your legs? Why can't I have candy for breakfast? Why are your boobies squishy? Why can't I hit my brother? Why can't we go to England to see the castles? Why are there no more Pirates? Why can't I watch the news? Why do we need to go to the bank? Why is that man fat? Why can't I drink coffee? Why do you drink coffee? Why are you tired? Why don't you get enough sleep? Why do you need some Mommy alone time? Why do you say you are going crazy? Why do you wonder if I can stop talking for 2 minutes? Why are you calling Daddy to see when he'll be home? Why, why, why, why...?

Just another day in paradise for a Mommy of a five year old boy.