Coffee...Tea...Soda Pop...PEETS!

Pictures from Bossy OC Council Dinner

2010-04-22T15:07:00.001-07:00

i am Bossy (NO) Book Tour

2010-04-22T14:35:00.001-07:00

The OC Council met last night at Las Brisas in Laguna Beach...but it seems many of us weren't ACTUALLY from the OC...we just didn't want to drive NORTH! In spite of the waiter ignoring us for a good 45 minutes (we almost left and went to Wahoos!) and the super obnoxious LOUD MAN at the next table, we had a lovely time! Nice to meet Bossy - who someone manages to look tremendous falling out of her (Harrison) Ford at each meet and greet - and the other bloggers in attendance: Tami, Neil, Kim, Yvonne, Suzanne, Beckey and Meredith.

Thanks Bossy for driving all this way to have dinner with us! Be safe driving home via ten thousand more miles!

Note to Self

2010-04-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Self:
...listen to more music...read more...write more...get outside more...hug more...kiss more...clear the clutter...life is good - don't waste time!

love you.
me

Poverty Party Post #3: Summer vacation

2009-10-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

Travelling to Germany in summer does not help to pay for the new bathroom floor, the need for all new baseboards and interior paint, repair on the heater and a/c or the new roof that we expect we'll need after it starts raining!

But...we had a great time and those memories...priceless!

Always wondering...

2009-09-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

I'm always wondering if I'm doing a good job as a parent. Most of the time I think I'm making "thoughtful" decisions...that I'm not just reacting to situations...that I'm trying to teach them something that in the long run they will remember. I'm trying to give them a few nuggets of wisdom that will last a lifetime...like my dad saying to me over and over and over again "Be a good listener. Think before you talk. Always tell the truth." Of course, those were the messages I took away as an adult...I wonder what he REALLY said?!?!

I wonder what my kids are hearing me say? I'd like to think I am repeating some of what I learned from my parents as well as other things that I wish someone had told me.

I wonder if I do too much for them. In 2009 so many parents do so much for their kids. We are no exception. I drive them to school - they don't walk or take a bus. I make their lunches everyday - they don't. I do 95% of all the household chores, only making them participate when they have time. But what is that teaching them?? Will they know how to do laundry when the move out? Will they know how to pay bills and save money and find apartments on their own???

I suppose I am jumping way ahead...they are only 12 and 14. But still, these last few years at home will fly by and then they will be out on their own - will they be prepared?

I wonder. And I worry! But isn't that just like a mom?!?!

Changes are coming...

2009-06-07T10:14:00.000-07:00

The school year is coming to an end...one kid moving from elementary to middle school...one kids moving from middle school to high school...quit one job...done with the volunteer gig...want to focus on my business plan now...on me..but still have to give so much to everyone else...but...am thinking that I may not be as needed as I think I am...perhaps less is more...but that feels a little bit like neglect to me...am trying to sort it out...need to pull back and take more time...

The Facebook Phenom..

2009-02-17T16:56:00.000-08:00

It seems that suddenly everyone is getting a FACEBOOK account. Does it seem like that to you or is it just me? Or maybe it's just that suddenly I've become more engaged by it...I signed up 3 years ago when my cousin in Canada asked me too, but I never communicated with anyone but her! Then in the last 6 months I have had lots of friend requests and friend suggestions and have had all little slivers of my life show up. It's very weird! Nice, but weird!

So that's all. I was just thinking about that and thought I'd throw it out there. What are your thoughts?

The School of Essential Ingredients

2009-02-14T08:31:00.000-08:00

When I first heard about The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister I KNEW that I would like it. Number 1, I love to read. Number 2, it was a book about a cooking school and I love to cook. But when I got the book and started to read it, it was more than "like" - I LOVED IT! I really just ate it up! (Pun totally intended!)

Each chapter focuses on one of the students in the class and explores how food and cooking has touched their lives. The characters are all different ages, come from different backgrounds and have had unique experiences and yet, the cooking of a meal brings them all together with a common thread. Each of their personal stories are beautifully written and melt together in this book like a warm and gooey brie cheese!

In the very first chapter I felt giddy as her main character described a zester:

"Lillian smiled. She felt about her zester the way some women do about a pair of spiky red shoes-a frivolous splurge, good only for parties, but oh so lovely. The day Lillian had found the little utensil at a garage sale a year before, she had brought it to Abuelita, face shining. She didn't even know what it was for back then, she just knew she loved its slim stainless-steel handle, the fanciful bit of metal at the working end with it's five demure little holes, the edges scalloped around the openings like frills on a petticoat. There were so few occasions for a zester, using it felt like a holiday."

Who among the lovers of cooking don't smile to themselves and feel a tug to the kitchen after reading that paragraph? The way Bauermeister writes is full...and descriptive...and comes together like a really good recipe. It touched me and, like a great recipe, I want to share it with all my friends!

This review was posted happily for MomCentral.com (MotherTalk Reviews)

Jonas Mania

2009-02-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

Well if you haven't heard of the phenomenon that is the Jonas Brothers I just don't know what to tell you! They are just everywhere - even on stage with Stevie Wonder at the Grammy's! My 14 year old daughter is already "over" them, but I think my 11 year old son is secretly singing and doing dance moves in his room!

If you need a formal introduction, there will be a dazzling event held on Thursday February 26th, 12:01am at the historic and beautiful El Capitan Theater and in the center of the dazzle will be the Jonas Brothers! But in 3D!!!! Disney is launching the debut of the Jonas Brothers 3D Concert Experience with exclusive giveaways for everyone who attends the opening weekend event. (The show runs February 27 through March 12.)

I'd tell you to mention it to your teen daughters, but 10 to 1 they already know about and can tell YOU a thing or two about how to order tickets!

Disney never fails to deliver on a spectacular, so if you have the time - go revel in the teenage heart throbs of 2009 like you did David Cassidy back in 1975!

16 things about me...

2009-01-10T09:49:00.000-08:00

Was tagged by association for this little meme. So...

I

love my Peet's coffee...freshly ground by me daily!
am not a morning person.
rely on my women friends for support and inspiration.
love to read.

am grateful that my parents are still alive.
need to schedule my mammogram.
don't listen to enough classical music.
have never tried yoga.

do not have a green thumb.
love when a recipe comes out fantastic!
wish I had been part of a team as a kid.
miss my aunt.

am not a math person.
would not choose that same wedding dress again!
would choose the same man!
want to go sit on Moonstone Beach with him right now.

If you have read this meme - you are now tagged! Leave a comment so we can know 16 things about you too.

Poverty Party Post #2 - A little help here please...

2008-12-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

Well it's been almost 2 months since I've been meal planning. Good news - it is saving us money! To be sure. It is saving me time too because I am not going to the grocery store 5 times in 7 days!

However, Sunday's suck.

Because that's the day I have to come up with a week's worth of menu items and GAH - it is not easy! I actually love to cook, but it is so hard to come up with a meal plan that everyone living here will actually eat. And planning on something that people who live here can eat when they are actually HERE is tough too - during the week eating together is a non-happening.

Mostly I've let myself become a short order cook. Which any mother alive will tell you was THE stupidest move EH-VAH! So what I need from you all is a few links to some amazing meals that will please everyone - we're chicken and meat eaters - kids love the pasta too.

oh - and good news - we're down to ONE brace face in the house now! Where will we spend that extra money?!?! Woot!

Disney Fun

2008-11-17T16:29:00.000-08:00

Looking for a way to get in to the holiday spirit? Well here is the ticket! Disney is putting on a show of only-can-be-done-like-Disney proportions and it's opening this Friday!

It's the premiere of BOLT in Disney Digital 3D at the amazing and beautiful El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood! The movie is already creating a buzz among the mom-family types and the El Capitan show has more than just a movie to make it worth your time - included in the entertainment package is the new Disney Holiday Spectacular - live on stage! And next door to the theater is Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio store where they are introducing a "BOLT Sundae"! How can you go wrong? A live show, a movie AND ice cream?!?!

Get ticket info HERE and start your holiday season off on a very positive note!

Election Day

2008-11-04T10:09:00.001-08:00

No matter your views -

GO VOTE!!!!!!!!!

Rest In Peace

2008-10-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a blathering and possibly sad post. You might want to go read another blog...I'm writing for me today...

My aunt died this morning....though she was not really my aunt. She was my mom's cousin's wife, but I've known her all my life as Tante Ruth.

She was pretty spectacular. She grew up in Wellesley, MA and was the most proper, put together woman I have ever known. She was an impeccable executive secretary and never wore white shoes after Labor Day. Her purse and shoes matched and she wore amazing pieces of jewelry. She had a great Boston/Maine accent and she had a great laugh. She was very generous and kind. She loved boxer dogs and long haired cats (RIP Cupcake).

It's been a hard year for her. My uncle passed away in February - they had been married over 50 years. Her health has been getting worse and worse all year. She's been in the hospital 3 times in the last two months. Finally we told the Dr's no more. No more xrays, no more tests, no more prodding, poking and drugging. She was old and her body wanted to stop, but for medical science it could not. So we moved her back to her care facility and arranged for hospice care just 2 weeks ago today.

They were wonderful and kind. I was able to see her a couple of times. She was too weak to talk, but I got a few yes's and no's to some direct questions. I talked "at" her a lot. She had pictures in her room that I went though with her. And then I brought more pictures and talked to her about the beautiful things she had seen and done since I've known her...Oak Creek, AZ, clam chowder at her favorite restaurant, her love of fine clothes! I remember Bullock's was her favorite department store.

She would have been 91 on Thursday. I was planning a visit. My sister reminded me that my aunt used to love pistachio ice cream, so I hunted some down and was going to surprise her with it.

When I got home this afternoon I took it out of the freezer and ate it straight from the container. "Here's to you Tante Ruth - rest in peace. I love you and will miss you."

Poverty Party Post #1

2008-10-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

So the Poverty Party idea over at bossy's couldn't be more timely. I could use a little helpful advice because our house economy was in the tank way before Wall Street took a dive.

We went from one kid in braces to two. And the beauty of that is that kid #1 was supposed to be OUT of braces in June but since we're exceeded our 2 year mark, we get to pay an extra $50 a month for her...and kid #2 is $100 for the next 10 months. I am seriously thinking about getting some wire cutters and being done with it myself. So then there's tennis lessons for kid #2 - a new development...and cost. And then there's the swim team Board that I serve on - voted away our free swimmer deal (because the swim team economy is also in the tank...or better - it sank to the bottom of the pool!) and now we have to cough up an additional $90 a month for kid #1 to swim. And I'm betting that $90 monthly dues (actually a bargain for the return she gets)are going to go up in order to get the team budget to balance for next year...and that's because the school district is also searching for revenue and will undoubtedly come around and say, "Hey - swim team - you should pay $80 an hour for the use of that cold water and dirty pool deck and no toilet paper in the bathrooms and for the privilege of dealing with snotty bureaucratic administrative types that hold the power to withdraw your permit on a whim. Don't cha think?"

Yep. Timley. Money is tight.

So here's what I've done so far to be help to my house economy. I've started (last week) making a menu and a list for the grocery store for the entire week. That means I have to know what I'm fixing for dinner every single night and get the ingredients for said meals in advance! Once upon a time, pre-motherhood, I used to do this - it was based on my hatred of the grocery store, not because I was organized or was trying to save money. I just hated going to the store. But when I had a baby, the store became more appealing because I could go ALONE! Thus, weekly menu and shopping - not so much. Ok - so last week it worked out pretty good. I only made 2 extra trips to the store and I think I spent about $50-80 less than a normal week.

So that's option number one for now. Spend less on food. Anyone else have any good saving plans?

Christmas Gifts in October

2008-10-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

EEW! Isn't that obscene???? WHO in their right mind considers Christmas gifts before Trick or Treating?? WHO?

well...

I have to confess...

just this one time...

me.

I'm sorry! I don't usually partake in Christmas thinking until after Thanksgiving. But I just had the perfect opportunity and the perfect idea!

Remember back in August when I was contemplating all 200+ of my camping photos? Well I needed to go to Long's and said to myself "What are you waiting for?!?! There are two sets of very deserving friends who would love to see pictures from a year and a half ago (oops!) and from 6 months ago (double oops!) - why not let them wait just 3 more months and make them the cutest two 5x7 picture booklets they have ever seen?"

So I grabbed my memory stick with 264 pictures on it and went to use the exceptional machine that is the HP Photo Center! I had pictures from two camping trips so I decided to make one booklet for each and order two prints of each.

And I'm here to say, I'm really happy I checked out the whole process back in August and that I had taken the time to look over the HP Photo Booth brochure that I picked up. It was a good thing to know what I was going to do when I got there because it took me about 15-20 minutes to work through the entire process for both books! It was so simple! All you have to do is choose the pictures, choose the project (booklets are just one option - I could have done a hardcover book! Or a poster or a set of cards...), choose the background, add a little text and your off! I turned in my little ticket to the lady and the counter and she said "They'll be done in about an hour." Wow! An hour! Cool! So I went to Kohl's and bought a sweater!

When I got back, the package was ready and waiting - they look really cute! I am very pleased with the whole process and of course, myself for having two Christmas gifts ready to go - even if it is still OCTOBER!

Want to make a photo gift of your own before Halloween? Follow this link to a start your Christmas shopping early too! (*Coupon courtesy of BlueSuitMom.com)

Badge of Intent....II

2008-10-03T23:15:00.001-07:00

I did it.

Today I decided what my Badge of Intent would say and I ordered it.

It says: Kirsten.......I am A Reliable Resource.

I'm excited and thrilled to share the rest, but I still have lots more homework and loose ends to tie up. But honestly, I have NEVER believed more in a statement than I do that one! YAY!

Badge of Intent

2008-09-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

I've been away for a while...family health emergency...the kind of thing that makes you realize how unimportant most things are in comparison to your health and your family...but since all involved are on the mend, I'm back and have been busy trying to catch up on my life.

I was looking for something to ground me again and it so happened that one of the emails in my inbox was from a long ago childhood friend - a friend that I just loved and that I have such great memories of...(she was so funny and very talented - she could really belt out a song!)- I digress! She contacted me to let me know she has started a new venture with her friend and it's called Badge of Intent.

I immediately went to her site and was smitten. What a terrific idea! It's such a simple idea and aren't those so often the best?! At first it seems silly, but then there was no denying the positive effect of wearing such a badge. It gives you the chance to put your goals out into the light. Goals that perhaps you have been keeping to yourself for fear of failure.

I think Badge of Intent is much like a plant: the badge is your seed, the input of those around you, the sun light, the effort you put in to make it a reality, the water. When your goal is achieved you enjoy the accomplishment like a bouquet and you begin to plant new seeds!

I spent the entire afternoon (and many subsequent hours since) trying to figure out what I would put on such a badge. There are, I found, many things that I would like to achieve, places I'd like to go, things I'd like to experience, but because I spend so much of my time caring for kids, husband, house and family, as well as volunteering, I have not given myself the opportunity to actually do any of them!

So I'm still mulling it over. But my intention is to make a decision by the end of the week. And then I will order my Badge of Intent and wear it proudly! I will even come back here and post a picture to prove it. I think this idea of hers is the perfect way to start a New Year in September! I must go think on it some more...

You should go check out the website...and think "What would I put on MY badge?"

Catching Summer Photos

2008-08-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Summer is just flying by! And I've been taking my camera everywhere...camping, swim meets, baseball games, swim meets, the beach, birthday parties, a few more swim meets! And all of those fine photos have been downloaded onto my computer. I was pretty proud of myself for getting them off the camera and into separate and organized folders! But then? Um...nothing. I haven't uploaded them anywhere, haven't printed them. No sharing with friends and family. Nothing.

So then I heard about the new HP Photosmart Studios and I went down to the closest Long's to check it out. I even took my 239 camping photos with me! I thought I knew what I was going to do...thought I was prepared. I was going to take those camping photos and make two books for the two families that we went camping with...I had a plan! But the plan changed.

The HP Photosmart Studio is a stand alone, self-serve computer kiosk. It was really easy to use as it had a big touch screen and the directions were very simple. But I stood there for a good 30 minutes just looking at all the options! First you have to decide what project to pick: a calendar, a book, a poster, a photo cd, or greeting cards. Then once you pick the project, you choose the background paper - lots and lots of choices here! And then the photo layout - do you want 1 picture on a page? 2? 3? 4? MORE? Then you have to decide which photos to use. Well, silly me, I brought 239 pictures! Honestly, I was overwhelmed until I realized "Oh..I don't have to do this TODAY!" Which really was a huge relief. I picked up one of the detailed pamphlets on the HP Photosmart Studio and took it home. I have since pared down my 239 photos and am re-thinking the book option. I am thinking I might want to do photo cards now...or maybe a poster, because how often can you give a friend a personal poster?!?! How cool is that?

So stay tuned for my follow up - I'm going back to Long's to use this machine:

And then I'll be back to tell you how the final product turned out!

Fitness in Minutes

2008-05-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

I have been laughing so hard reading Three Kid Circus and all of the exercise exploits of bloggers everywhere! All stories about ridiculous exercise purchases and because I have a sense of humor, and some extra pounds, I can't resist sharing my own list!

Let's start with the big seller: Ab Roller. Yup. 5 minute a day for 30 days people. Nothing to it! Then it became a chair for my one year old. But then we had to get rid of it because she fell over!

The ORIGINAL Step. Not to be confused with the "Un-original Step" on the market. I actually used this for a while and managed to actually lose inches and pounds. BUT, lest you think this is not funny...these are the video's I purchased in order to use my Step:

* Denise Austin Need I say more?
* I purchased Buns of Steel along with ABS of Steel!! Didn't we all want buns of steel? Be honest.
* The ever so popular Jane Fonda Step video. Her hair was so effing PERFECT!
* I had a Karen Voight tape that kicked my ASS. I so wanted to have legs like hers. Except that mine are about 6 inches shorter and no amount of exercise was going to fix that particular problem.
* And worst of all....a Cher step tape!! AAAAKKK Cher in all her black lace glory. And me right along with her. Ouch. That one hurts!

I have a yoga mat and a set of yoga blocks in the back of my closet somewhere. I think my son used them once for a matchbox car ramp.

And a really cool set of mini-hula hoops for my arms! Oh - I mean, Pilates Body Circles! WHAT was I thinking?

Me and Billy? We're TIGHT. He's always encouraging me. I love that about him. Always reminding me to "Feel the Burn" and "Don't give up". Uh huh. Yeah. Right. Thanks Billy.

I've had a Diamondback 300 Elliptical Machine taking up space in my home for about 4 years now. I try to use it, but it kind of makes a squeaking noise which really just makes me want to scream...so dusting it has become my priority!

So as you can see, I'm dedicated to being fit. I have the receipts to prove it! But I know that I would totally use the Wii Fit - I had so much fun trying it out and isn't that what all the experts say?

You know, that if you're having fun you will stick with it????

Are you Prepared?

2008-05-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

I thought I was. But as it turns out, I wasn't. Not even close.

I've lived in California my whole life and I suppose that has something to do with my very nonchalant attitude about earthquake preparedness. I've had sort of a "Earthquakes happen...we will be fine..." kind of laziness. That sounds so wrong - I live here - shouldn't I be more concerned? You would think so, but I've been fortunate to live here 43 years and never be affected by an earthquake...physically or emotionally. However, I have friends who were devastated by the Northridge quake back in 1994 - so much so they they sought counseling for months after. But for me, for my family...lucky...really lucky.

So when I was asked "Are you Prepared?" I decided I'd better take time for a serious look at my answer. At the California Governor's Conference on Women I was introduced to the "We..." concept. As women, we empower, we honor, we lead, we communicate, we prepare...and we postpone. Well ok, I postponed. Until now.

I downloaded the Family Disaster Plan from the California Volunteers website and got started. The form itself is easy to fill out - you probably know the information my heart if you have any kids! I know I've filled out emergency forms en masse for years now! But I started to scratch my head when I was asked to fill out the section on resources. Resources? Where? Who? I've never had to call anyone for help. Wow. How lucky am I? So a few clicks around the internet and I've located my local Office of Emergency Services and my local Red Cross.

Then I began the task of itemizing emergency supplies. I browsed the list and was dismayed to discover that while I have a lot of these items, they are ALL OVER my house and garage! In an emergency, wouldn't I want to have access to my daughter's daily medication and some fresh water for her to take it with? And wouldn't I want to have a pair of glasses for her to wear instead of contacts? These items only scratch the surface! So I purchased a large plastic container and began to fill it.

One week later I have managed to consolidate all of my supplies and put them in one central location. And I filled a backpack with supply essentials for my car as well. I emailed the Family Disaster Plan to my sister-in-law in Texas and printed one for us. And the key here people: I TOLD my family where they could find all of it. Because as moms we very often assume that we don't need to tell everyone everything. We assume we'll be there to take care of things as we planned. Unfortunately in an emergency you may not have that luxury and you must prepare for that as well.

So I talked to the kids about what to do in an emergency - where to go - who to call. I talked to my hubby about the possibilities of us being separated during an emergency and how we should communicate via our out of state contact. While we take for granted the many sunny beautiful days here in California we often forget the very real possibility of a large and devastating earthquake. I am glad that I can now answer the question "Are you prepared?" with a resounding "YES!"

There are so many resources out there. We need to use them. And while you may not live in California and earthquakes are the last thing on your mind, you should consider where you live and the potential for an emergency of your own. Be smart, be responsible and be prepared!

**Edited to add: Wow. There is a scary irony that I posted my thoughts and experience of earthquake preparedness on the day THIS happened. I have the chills.

Wii Fit Birthday Party

2008-05-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

.

Actually, the fact that it was my birthday has absolutely nothing to do with the Wii Fit Party that I was invited to! But it would be a great idea to throw a 40-something woman a Wii Fit Birthday Party, so you keep it in mind when the Wii Fit system's are available to the public!

Until then, I'll give you the SKiiNNY on the Wii Fit!

Side note: My family does not own a Wii system. Yet. I say yet, because I'm feeling the pull of this gaming system pretty strong! It helps to have friends who own them and rave about them...and let you play them! And a 10 year old son who loves to play Wii anywhere at all is also a motivating factor. The down side...finding one that we can buy! Apparently they sell out the day they arrive at stores, so we're going to have to get more savvy trying to locate one...

ANYWAY.

My dear friend and Nintendo Ambassador, Tracey, asked me if I'd be interested in attending a Wii Fit Party at her house on the evening of my birthday. I was lucky enough to attend the Wii Party back in 2006 at Tracey's, so I knew this would be a party I didn't want to miss. The hubby and I spent my birthday day together, shared some cake with the kids after school, drove one kid to swim practice and then I headed to Tracey's to find out what Wii Fit was all about!

In a nutshell? It was SO MUCH FUN! MUST HAVE ONE!

Details? Nintendo has thought of everything. BMI index, Wii Fit Age, tracking, balancing, aerobics, yoga and strength training. I tried it all...well, ok, I didn't venture into the yoga section, but I did sit and focus on my balance and posture for 3 minutes - my candle didn't even waver - I am EXPERT!

I tried ski-jumping and had some beginner's luck - my two jumps totalled 384 feet (meters?) which gave me first place! I stunk it up on the downhill skiing. I tried over and over again to figure out how get the speed right without crashing into the gates, but always, my head hung low. The boxing was tricky even on the beginner level, but it didn't take too long to get the hang of it.

The balancing games were good and I was so-so at the table top, the penguin on the iceberg and floating down the river in a bubble. I loved the hula-hoop exercise, but I sure hope Tracey didn't take a picture of me doing that! The tight rope was hysterical - the Mii Person I was using was actually created for one of the cute, young, SLIM and FIT girls who were showing us how to use the system...so when I took a few tiny steps on the tight rope, it sent the Mii person flying up in the air! After re-booting and trying again with the same results, we realized that OH - I weigh MORE than the cute Mii girl! My tiny little steps were shooting her small body into the sky! It was really funny. Good thing I had a sense of humor on my birthday isn't it? It was a little hard to take when my Mii body expanded like a balloon when I did the BMI test, but that was also pretty funny!!!

The hostesses were gracious and helpful and provided yummy treats for the 10 of us: fruit smoothie shots, ka-bobs, hummus and pita. Tracey even brought in one piece of very UN-fit chocolate cake with a candle and the ladies sang Happy Birthday to me! Thank you Tracey! It was a great time and I look forward to getting a Wii for the family and getting Wii Fit with them!

Art of a 4 year old

2008-04-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

Well. She's not 4 anymore, she's 13...but I found this piece of art that I saved from pre-school and wanted to share.

The owner of her pre-school, Linda Juranek of KidWorks, has just retired after 25 years. Linda created the most outstanding pre-school EVER.

It was a haven for fun learning and exploring and nothing Linda ever did was textbook. It was always creative and enriching: Art Faire, washing shirts "down by the river", fish printing, Thanksgiving Feast...they were all wonderful experiences for the kids.

I look back on those years with my daughter and later, my son, and I see how Linda was able to even teach ME! She taught me that it was ok to color outside the lines-something that was so hard for me. I am inherently orderly and precise. I love that now I have the ability to relax and enjoy things for what they are right now in the moment; that everything does not have to be just so. (I confess to not always being able to reach this calm state of mind!!)

So thank you Linda, for the art of my 4 year old - both of them! And for giving us the memories of a lifetime! We will treasure them always.

HELP

2008-04-07T21:42:00.001-07:00

SOMEONE SAVE ME FROM SCIENCE PROJECT HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spring Flowers

2008-03-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

This kind of pretty speaks for itself.

bossy's excellent road trip

2008-03-04T21:11:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late to the party - but I've been following along since the beginning! Bossy's comin' to California and we're gonna have a Bloggy Love Fest somewhere way the f*@$ up in Calabasas! OY!

What's left for Best Shot Monday?

2008-02-25T14:10:00.000-08:00

After a week of sick children, sick parents, a swim meet in the rain and a funeral for an uncle, I'm left with a nasty head cold and THIS to do:

Talk about Rainy Days and Mondays! Somebody send me some fuzzy slippers and a vat of tea!

iPlay

2008-01-21T13:45:00.000-08:00

And so must you! Go to Mdme. Jozet's.

Here is 1972's Album of the Year:

The sweet sounds of Ms. O'Neal's vocal stylings on this album are without compare and her talent on the Palm Frond is exquisite! Critics rave that this is an album for the enlightened New Age!

Best Shot Monday

2008-01-14T11:12:00.001-08:00

Whoa - how'd it get to be Monday again? I think I missed last week! I was so busy creating a slide show for the swim team banquet and planning a Makeover Birthday Party for my almost 13 year old daughter - both on Saturday!

It was A's idea to have a makeover party and I balked a bit - she doesn't wear makeup at this point. So I offered to have a Mary Kay consultant come and give the girl's pointers and tips and samples. But she said "No. That's too formal." So I asked her if she wanted me to back off and not "organize" anything and she said "Yes!"...so we went to the store and loaded the basket with all kinds of eye shadow, mascara, blushes, powders, blending pads, throw aways mascara wands (cuz no sharing - eeewww!), brushes, mirrors...and the girl's had a free-for-all makeover session! They had a great time deciding if they were "cool" or "warm" skin girls; experimenting and helping each other apply the makeup. They did each other's hair too - choice of flat iron or curling iron. Then I draped them with shiny gold or silver fabric and took their pictures. (Sort of off the shoulder glamorous!)

Now, you might be saying, where is one of THOSE photographs for BSM?? Well, as much as I hate to admit it, they didn't really come out all that great! I took LOTS of pictures... tried changing the lighting and changing the settings on my camera...but mostly...blurry. So that was kind of disappointing.

BUT - the girls really had fun and that's what they'll remember. And my BSM is what I'll remember:

Go check out the other BSM's over at Tracey's!

Best Shot Monday

2008-01-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

Hi all! My first Best Shot Monday, which , as you MUST know, is sponsored by Tracey!

I took a car load of teenage girls to the M&M Factory Store in Vegas last month and started to follow them into this tunnel - but after I took the picture I got a nasty flash of vertigo and had to go sit down! The lights were spinning and so was my head!

The Joy of Cooking

2007-12-23T12:23:00.000-08:00

I am a foodie. I love to cook and bake. I love to try new recipes.

I made this one yesterday and HAD to share! It may not have been as beautiful as the Bon Appetit magazine, but it was pretty! And it tasted amazing as well.

So much fun! Hope you all have JOY this Christmas too!

Choose your Catalog

2007-11-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

My sister just sent me a link to Catalog Choice. What a great program - wish I had heard about them earlier this year so that I could have signed up to opt out of the hundreds of catalogs that have already begun pouring in for the holiday season.

Go green and go sign up!

Cognitive Operations...huh?

2007-10-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

The question was posed at The Parent Bloggers Network: "What are your kids learning in school?"

I asked myself "What aren't my kids learning in school?!"

I have two kids, a 7th grader and a 4th grader. I expected when they started school that they would learn reading, writing, spelling, science and math. I expected they'd learn about California Missions in 4th grade. I expected they would at some point learn about history.

What I did not expect was that they would learn those subjects in the manner that they have experienced. All of their subjects have been taught to them through the icons of depth and complexity - since first grade! That the teachers can use these models successfully at that age is amazing to me. I was not introduced to many of these concepts until college! Because my kids are taught to apply these ideas to every subject it not only helps them learn about the subject, but it teaches them how to think constructively and not to simply rely on memorization. (Though there is always some of that!)

I feel very fortunate that my children are getting the benefit of such an amazing education. There are so many obstacles in the "real world" and I firmly believe that having a solid education paired with the ability to listen and learn will be the keys to their successful adult lives!

PBN Blog Blast with Scholastic.com wants to know "What are your kids learning in school?" and Scholastic has made some cool tools available for parents everywhere!

Map Your Walk

2007-10-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else checked out MAPMYWALK.COM? It's quite fabulous! You can create your own walks, search for walks already mapped out by other people - in any city! My friend and I have recently started a walking routine at the un-Godly hour of 5:30am, but because we can map out a new route everyday it's not boring! There are options to track your shoe mileage and count the calories that you burn (based on the difficulty of your walk) and they also post walking and running events for your area. The site is easy to navigate and they offer an email newsletter as well.

Check it out and enjoy your walk!

Disney Magic for Family Bloggers

2007-10-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was invited by Maria Bailey of BlueSuitMom.com to attend a Family Blogger Event being held at the Disneyland Resort here in Southern California. I was so excited and was going to RSVP that same day, but truthfully I was a little intimidated because I:

Don't write on my own blog as regularly as I read other mom blogs and
I've been out of the corporate world for 13 years and wondered how I could fit in with a group that might represent "BLUE SUIT MOMS"! (Now don't misunderstand, I worked for THE epitome of BLUE SUIT corporations - IBM - I "get" the working woman. But when I was there, I was not a mom, so I have to assume that there are gaps in my understanding of today's working moms and how they manage their lives.)

But I knew I shouldn't pass up the opportunity to meet some of the faces of the bloggers that I read (or lurk!) or miss the chance to spend some time with my famous blogger friend and her family! My husband and 2 kids were more than happy to accompany me and so I sent an emphatic "YES - COUNT ME IN" kind of RSVP! I mean, why disguise your excitement when you're talking about Disneyland?!

In spite of a little semantic difficulty about where to pick up our passes (Customer Relations vs. Customer Service) we were in the park by 10:30am. Fast forward through many rides and a short jaunt back home to pick up the tween daughter who refused to skip school (!!HUH??) and more rides, we had a fabulous time! When 5:00 rolled around we headed back to the Sequoia Room at the Grand Californian Hotel where we hoped to get a few munchies and a beverage that we could call "dinner" before we headed back into California Adventure for Disney's HalloweenTime.

Munchies. Ha. Not even CLOSE.

The public relations group at Disney spared no expense for the Family Bloggers! There was a buffet spread for the adults that included stuffed pork loin, roast beef, Caesar salad, a pasta bar where two chefs whipped up a plate of pasta to your liking! There was a dessert table filled with beautiful (and tasty!) sweet Disney treats! Creme Brulee in pumpkin shells no less! The kids had their OWN buffet set with the kid standards like chicken strips, mac n'cheese and celery and carrot sticks. The kids had crafts and cookies to decorate and a personal face painter! There were Disney folks walking around offering shrimp cocktails, mini pizzas and drinks. Chip and Dale were there to greet us and they took pictures with the kids and danced with them too! We even had a special appearance from Mickey and Minnie Mouse! And all this to Halloween-themed music provided by a one man show and preserved digitally by the photographer!

After some fine food and mingling, the kids changed into their costumes and we headed back to California Adventure for the Disney's HalloweenTime. The kids trick or treated at the Mickey stations (not just candy, but apple slices and carrot sticks too!), they went on a few rides, danced in the spinning lights and had a great time. (I sat down as often as possible!) We decided to call it a day around 8:30 and headed back to the valet (courtesy of Disney/BlueSuitMom) to pick up the car.

Weary and exhausted we fell into bed...to dream about the day of Disney Magic!

I have been reading and (barely) writing in the family/mom-blog world for about a year and half now...I love that the women out there are smart and intelligent and funny to boot. It's such an amazing community and it was awesome to finally get past the pc screen to meet the people that I feel I already "know"! I had no reason to feel out of place as all the women and their families in the room were friendly and outgoing and were all there to represent the strength of the Family/Mom Blogging Community! Thanks to Maria and Disney for hosting such a fabulous event! My Mickey ears are off to you!

Fall reading...

2007-09-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

In the summer I wrote about the book Twilight by Stephanie Meyers. I really loved it and was excited to read the second in the series and then the 3rd when it was released back in August. Somehow though, summer got away from me and I never was able to pick them up.

Fortunately for me, the same friend who turned me on to the first book bought the second two and brought them over a week ago. And she said I'd love them! And guess what? I DID!

So I'm here to shout out to anyone who's listening - pick up these three books!

They are in the TEEN Section of the bookstore and library. Ms. Meyers writing style helps you visualize every character and feel their emotions as well. The story line, as unbelievable as it might be, is compelling and you will want to know how it all ends!

If you read them, come back and let me know what you thought! I love a good book discussion!

Tweens & Cell Phones

2007-09-24T13:28:00.001-07:00

My daughter had 2 friends spend the night on Saturday night. Two of the 3 actually had spent most of the day together and the natural progression was the "sleepover". After dinner, with cell phones in tow, they sat in her room, tittering and giggling - calling this boy and that boy and oh, maybe a girlfriend or two. Lots of giggling. Did I mention that?

I was watching t.v. and kept hearing the leaking toilet tank and went to the bathroom to fix it. On my way past my daughter's door I heard:

"9-1-1, What is your emergency?"

I about flipped! I flung open the door and there they sat - like deer in the headlights. I asked the obvious question:

"Did you just call 911?!" and they said:

"NO! No, we *67'd someone - look!!!" and my daughter gave me her phone.

The phone did show that she had dialed *67, so we were all a bit confused. We know what we heard. I launched into the "You have to be very careful..." speech and the "You could get into a lot of trouble..." speech. They were suitably mortified and freaked out - thought they'd be kicked out of school and girl scouts too! It occurred to me that maybe the boy's mom took his phone away and then tried to freak them out by answering his phone, but I know her, she's just way too nice to play that card! But I cannot figure out how they managed to dial 911. And if it really was 911, why didn't they call back? Don't they usually? I have no idea.

At 11:30 I threw down my parental law and made them leave their cell phones in the living room. Go to bed. Go talk. Go giggle. STOP CALLING PEOPLE! Normally my daughter's phone hits the living room at 9:30 - no phone in the room over night, so this was a treat. But I think I was the OGRE MOM, the MOM OF NO FUN!

How are you people handling your kids and cell phones?!

Passion and Joy

2007-09-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

I just found out that my High School Music teacher passed away in June. There was a memorial for him on Sept. 16th. I am sad that I didn't know as I would have gone to grieve with the many people whose lives he touched. Here is my tribute to him as I wrote it on the In Memory Website that his daughter created.

My deepest sympathy to Susan and the children (who are all grown up now!). I cannot begin to imagine your grief as I sit here in my own small version of it.

Mr. David Humphrey was such a huge presence in my life at Poly. And not just in his stature! His passion was huge - his voice was huge - his joy when Kathryn was born was huge. I was fortunate enough to be there to experience it and I am so grateful.

In 1980 VAPA was a fledgling magnet program and a very small group of singers, including me, had the most extraordinary times with Mr. Humphrey. We had such excellent lessons in Music History and Music Theory. We would listen to amazing music together and have lengthy discussions about it. We would have off campus excursions which would probably get any teacher these days fired...donuts, Jack in the Box, Bunch a Lunch at Shakeys! I remember one rehearsal that he held at his home in Garden Grove...we had a potluck that night.

He had such a great sense of humor - the serious dead pan looks he could give and then break into an enormous smile! He could scare anyone, but he was such a softie at heart.

I loved singing for him. He gave me confidence I never knew. I truly was lifted in song. I remember when he would often sing with us, drowning out poor Kevin! I loved his big voice and have always remembered his analogy of a barrel filling with air in order to get the proper breath! I use that technique today when I need to relax!

He was my teacher for a third of my entire school day for 3 years running. The Choral Room was my second home and I was always there. Standing around the piano singing whatever someone chose to play...practicing in the sound proof rooms. It was joyful.

But not more joyful than when Kathryn was born on Dec. 2nd! I remember that birthday because of how happy Mr. Humphrey was. I had never before seen someone bursting with pride and awe and happiness. A beautiful moment I will never forget.

I am so glad that I was able to see him at the PACE reunion in 2005. It was wonderful to see him. I hope he knew how much he meant to me and so many other students. Someone like that will certainly be rewarded in heaven. I think I can hear him singing now.

Maximum Ride a Minimum Thrill

2007-08-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

Because I am an avid reader and I recently reviewed another "Teen" book, I was excited to participate in the Maximum Ride Blog tour sponsored by MotherTalk, but I'm sad to report that my first read for MotherTalk was a disappointment.

First, let me say that I've never read any of James Patterson's adult books, but I have heard from friends that they love his style. I also had not read the 2 previous books in the Maximum Ride series so I was a little worried that I wouldn't "get" Maximum Ride #3, Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports.

And that is precisely what happened. I didn't get it.

I had trouble visualizing the characters, had trouble believing that kids their age, bird-like or not, would be so sarcastic and flippant all the time. The sarcasm was, in my opinion, overused by the author. There was a lot of violence too, which, as I read it, seemed too "video-game" to me. What I mean is, the description of the "battles" were what you see on every shoot em up/beat em up kind of video game. Maybe there is a reason for this? Is there already a video game for this series? One on the way? I wouldn't be surprised.

Patterson's use of blogging in the book, while it did not appeal to me, is probably successful as a means to market his series to his target audience, so nicely done, Mr. Patterson! And I did like the idea that Patterson, through his fiction, was appealing to the younger generation to take care of this world...that they have the means to make a difference. A book with a postive underlying message is always a good thing!

So for me, Maximum Ride was a Minimum Thrill. I'll still offer it to both my tween and pre-teen and post their review if they would like to share!

Bummer

2007-08-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago I had heard that Matthew McConaughey was working himself up for a new movie "In Search of Captain Zero" based on a book by Allan Weisbecker, but I just found out it is going to be Sean Penn starring in the 2008 movie!

Very disappointing.

I was looking forward to seeing a shirtless Matthew! Ah well...

I got my Ticket!

2007-07-16T23:42:00.000-07:00

It's only July, but I'm really excited to attend the California Governor and First Lady's Conference on Women in October! This will be my 3rd year going and I know I will come away inspired yet again.

The highlight of my first conference was seeing Barbara Walter's interview with then-almost-retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. She was quite spectacular (Justice O'Connor, that is!) pleasantly down to earth and not at all pretentious.

The second year, 2006, I was fortunate to be sitting front and center at a table sponsored by BP and WOW - that was phenomenal! The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson was beautiful and also very real and personable. The Dalai Lama, of course, was my favorite! It was an amazing experience to sit in an arena of 11,000+ people and the only thing you could hear was the air conditioning! It was also very nice to discover that the Dalai Lama has a sense of humor! Quite the funny man he is. Love that.

So this year, there are MANY speakers on the list and I can't wait to hear the main arena speakers - I hear Ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair will be there...and maybe the spouses of the 2008 Presidential nominees, including Bill Clinton?!?! We'll see. They'll be some break out session speakers that I'll want to hear as well. The exhibit hall will be filled to capacity with people with great ideas and people with great books.

If you have the opportunity to make it to Long Beach, you should - it is well worth it! I'll see you there!

Summer Reading

2007-07-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

I love to read. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I have a nightstand with about 10 books stacked up...books I started because a friend recommended them, gifts from friends who know I love to read, books that I picked out and just haven't gotten to yet...and then I find myself going to the library to get MORE books! My husband shakes his head and asks WHY I don't just finish the stack next to the bed?! I say - it's just too tempting to pick up books - I want to read them all! Sounds a little like an addiction doesn't it? But I guess if that's my worst vice, life is good!

Anyway, I just finished a book, Twilight by Stephanie Meyer and really loved it! I think I never would have picked it up on my own...it was in the TEEN section at the library. And the story is about a seventeen year old girl falling in love with a vampire. HUH? How is that a good story?! But it is! It was so well written the author had me believing it. I love an author who can make something crazy sound real. It's so Stephen King! So I recommend you run out and get this book. For you or for your teen! There is a sequel too and a soon to be release third book in the series and I'll be getting my hands on those soon too!

Enjoy your summer reading!

Breathing vs. Belting

2007-05-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

To the Woman in the Parking Lot at the Farmer's Market today:

Congratulations. Really. You were amazing.

I pulled in the parking lot and sat parked in my car waiting for my sister to arrive and I saw you. Rather, I heard your child. Could have been an animal, but I suspect it was your child. He was throwing a heee-uuuuge tantrum. Other people would have thought you were beating him, but I knew better. He was just being an intolerable rotten 2 year old. I'm sure he's not always like that, but today, woman, you had your hands full.

And you handled yourself beautifully. He screamed and screamed and you picked him up and put him back in the car. You closed the door - didn't even slam it on his little fingers - you closed it. And then you stood outside the car and breathed. Just breathed. Waited. Oh you were so in control of yourself - I wanted to applaud you!

And when you made your second attempt to enjoy the Farmer's Market, he let you have it again. Screaming bloody murder for all the world to hear. You picked him up and put him back in the car. Closed the door and waited. Breathing. Spending precious moments composing yourself. I just know you were thinking you were the only mother on earth that had to endure this kind of public humiliation. That somehow someone was judging you for being a bad mom. I really wanted to get out of my car and give you a hug, but then I thought maybe that might be embarrassing too.

So I just wanted to let you know, you are a great mom. You showed great self control in the face of this monster that took the place of your normally happy child. Some other women might have opted for another solution, but you held firm and remembered to breathe.

I hope you enjoyed some strawberries at the Market. They were worth the wait!

Sincerely,
Peetsmom

True Love

2007-02-14T11:36:00.000-08:00

Do you know how I know my husband of 23 years loves me?

He wrote me a poem for Valentine's Day.

It was a love poem.

For me.

About...

(wait for it......)

...corn in poop.

Can you feel the love?!

Joy Suckers

2007-02-09T18:43:00.000-08:00

Do you volunteer?

I do. A lot. Because I have time and no money to donate.

So I try to pick and choose my volunteer spots carefully in order to avoid any encounters with Joy Suckers, but crap, they just keeping showing up like a bad rash.

I'm currently serving on the Board of a private, non-profit and have really enjoyed it. For the last 3 years anyway. Those of us who have been serving are parents...people who have half a brain and want to make sure the organization in which our kids participate is a stable and good place to be... We have our meetings, we accomplish tasks, we moan and groan to each other in friendly banter. It's good. We are efficient. We are happy.

Then we had an election.

Wherein Joy Suckers win positions on the Board. (sadly, some ran un-opposed and just got the job by default.)

Joy Suckers have come in and mandated we run things like a freakin' Army patrol. All business. No fun. No humor. AT. ALL. It just makes me want to quit. But I can't. Because I know once the Joy Suckers are done sucking the fun and companionship out of the Board, they will quit and a few of us will be left to pick up the pieces and reassemble it to what it once was...a place where we can once again be efficient...be fun...and be happy.

Would you stay?

Ode to My UPS Man

2006-12-21T13:35:00.000-08:00

Dear UPS Man,
I'm so sorry that you are out for 12 hours a day delivering everyone else's Christmas cheer. I wish you could stop for lunch somewhere nice; you deserve better than eating your sandwich out of a baggie because your hands are so filthy you can't even touch it. It would be nice if you could even stop driving the truck for 20 minutes so that at least you could enjoy your baggie-sandwich in peace. But I know you have to keep driving the "helper" around so that you can come home before 10pm to say hello to your wife, eat your dinner, take a shower and go to straight to bed.

Your kids feel bad for you too. They wish daddy didn't have to work so hard during this time of year, but they understand and love you so much. Your wife tells them how lucky they are to have a daddy that provides them a nice home, good food, enough healthcare for braces (!) and then still has the energy to write a funny story to make them laugh out loud.

You're the bomb Mr. UPS Man. We love and appreciate you so much!

Your loving wife,

Peetsmom

The Virtual Cookie Exchange

2006-12-11T11:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday all! Time to start baking! I came upon Jenn's Virtual Cookie Exchange and just KNEW that you all needed the recipe for my favorite Christmas cookies. Here's a picture of my first batch. These cookies make a great gift as they have festive colors.

Introducing:

SANTA'S WHISKERS

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 TBL milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
3/4 cup finely chopped red and green candied cherries (I always add a 1/4 cup more just for color!)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3/4 cup flaked coconut

Cream together butter and sugar. Blend in milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, candied cherries and nuts. Form into 2 logs, approximately 2 inches in diameter and 8 inches long. Roll in coconut flakes. Wrap in wax paper and place in a sealed bag or container. Chill several hours or overnight.

Slice into 1/4 inch think slices. Bake @350 for 12 minutes or until edges are golden. Makes about 4-5 dozen cookies.

Come As You Are Blog Party!

2006-12-06T14:18:00.000-08:00

***

Ok - I am SUPPOSED to be producing a newsletter for my kid's swim team...but honestly, I was really reading blogs. I read this one and felt the urge to participate!

So I ran outside with my camera, fell on a pile of leaves and took this picture!

Whew! Thanks Tracey for adding some spontaneity to my day!!

Giving Thanks

2006-11-22T16:02:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for my health.
I am thankful for my beautiful, healthy and happy children.
I am thankful for my hard working husband.
I am thankful that my parents, while not in perfect health, are still here to celebrate this holiday.
I am thankful for my two amazing sisters and one brother. There is nothing that can replace family.
I am thankful for my circle of close friends. I would not be the same person without them.

Happy Thanksgiving Blogosphere!

Applause and a Standing Ovation Please!

2006-11-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

I want to give Marie Forbes of Forbes Photographics and Helen Eddy of Helen Eddy Photography a big round of applause and a standing ovation!

And here is why...

A few weeks back I went to visit my aunt in the nursing home where she and my uncle are living. It actually isn't a nursing home, but a convalescent hospital where 99% of the occupants are not permanent residents. My aunt and uncle somehow managed to secure a permanent resident status though I don't how or why they made that decision. It is very much like a hospital, not a place of residence. The halls are filled with nurses and people in wheelchair's and walkers trying to, as they should, convalesce. My aunt and uncle's room does have some of their personal belongings, but mostly it looks like a hospital room. With one window looking out over the alley in back. This is where they live now. All the time. It is not a cheerful place. They sit and watch television in that room all day. Save for the short walk to the exercise room, where there are weights and other items to keep them moving. There is an open courtyard (which sounds so much nicer than it really is...) that they can visit as well...but you get the picture.

So I was talking with them about my kids and what not and my aunt blurts out "I want to go back to Wellesley! I don't want to be here!" It broke my heart. She grew up in Wellesley, Mass. and spent her young adult life there as well. She moved away only after she met and married my uncle. I don't remember the last time she was able to visit there, but I would guess it's been at least 10-15 years. My aunt has trouble finding her words these days, but I could FEEL her intensity and passion about this and I really wanted to do something for her.

So when I got home I Googled the Wellesley Chamber of Commerce and came across Marie Forbes Photography. I emailed Marie and told her of my aunt and her plea to go somewhere I know she cannot go. I asked her if she had any pictures of Wellesley that I could purchase for my aunt. I was astonished at how quickly she responded! She told me that she, unfortunately, did not have any photos of Wellesley, but instead gave me a link to Helen Eddy, another photographer, that she knew did have shots of Wellesley. It was so nice to know that someone would take time to make the extra effort for a perfect stranger! Turns out she didn't just send me a link to Helen, but that she forwarded my first note to her as well because the next day I received an email from David Eddy saying that they would love to help me out. I was just overwhelmed by the eagerness of their response!

I ended up speaking to Helen about her photography of the area and I purchased two 5 x 7 prints from her that were just beautiful. She also sent me 4-5 other shots and a beautiful note card for free! And in the short time I had emailed and spoken to Helen, Marie sent me an email with 5 beautiful pictures attached,(at no charge, I must add), to give to my aunt as well.

I saw my aunt on her 89th birthday and she was so surprised and so happy to see these pictures! It was such a good feeling to give her something beautiful to look at everyday. I am touched and grateful for the kindness and generosity of two people that I have never met. So bravo to Marie and to Helen!

STAND UP AND CHEER INTERNET!

Tender

2006-10-19T12:06:00.000-07:00

My son, thus far in his 9 year old life, has been more of a challenge than my daughter. He likes to argue with us. About a lot of things. About small details...like "You told me I had 10 minutes and it's only been 9." He even argues larger concepts such as why the moon is big when it is low on the horizon and why it looks smaller when it is high in the night sky. Suffice it to say he was not satisfied with my explanation!

But for all his arguments and some whining, he has always been thoughtful and tender to other people. In pre-school, when a girl younger than him fell down, he ran over to her, helped her up and then told her "Don't worry, I'll get the teacher." If he got a special treat from me or from a teacher at school, he would always make sure to save some for his sister. He always shares and he is not greedy.

He is such a rare individual and I love that about him.

Last week my husband's grandfather died. I picked up the kids from school and told them the news. I said that Daddy would need some extra loving that night because he was going to be sad. And that we were going to visit Grandma too, and that she was going to be sad. Because it is sad when someone you love dies. So we got home and they both proceeded to snack and do their homework. I was on the computer when about 30 minutes later my son came to me and said "I'm done with my homework, can I play my Gameboy?" I said "Sure.".

Five minutes later he came back and said "I said a prayer for Grampa Tommy before I turned on my Gameboy."

That was it. That was all he wanted to say. I, of course, got very teary and had to give him multiple hugs and kisses.

How amazing it is that such a young little person can have such a big heart with such tenderness and understanding.

I'm so lucky to be his mother!

I WON! I WON!

2006-09-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

After being without internet access for a couple of days I was delighted and excited to discover yesterday that I was the winner of Tracey's Picture It Togetherness Photo Contest! Click on over there to see my winning photo!

I am always inspired by Tracey, but now - look out - I think I can take some photo's people!

Time Spent...

2006-07-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

How we spend our time is always a topic of conversation. We never seem to have enough of it to get everything "done". And we complain and whine about it. We moan and sigh. Sometimes though, we let it go.

Yesterday, I let it go. And I'm so happy I did. I did the early morning carpool of the 5 girls and then I took C to visit with Tracey's daughter Julia. C & Julia have been buddies since they were born and it's a beautiful thing to watch them together. They are both 8 now and have not reached the point where they realize that the other is a "eew - a Boy/Girl!" They just act goofy and make stuff up and team up against the world. (Read: 3 year old IRIS!)

The bonus, of course, was that Tracey and I got to catch up over iced coffee and warm banana bread. Comically though, we were interuppted every 2 minutes by one child or another! Still, it was one of those times when I didn't care what errands needed to be done or how many piles of laundry were waiting. It was important for us, and the kids, to just let it all go and enjoy each other's company. It was great.

And in that vein, the rest of my afternoon went the same. After we left Tracey's we got Curtis a haircut and shared lunch together. Then we played 3 rounds of Yahtzee. Then we each had an ice cream cone on the front porch as we played a made up game of "what color car is going to drive by next?".

I know I didn't get anything "done" yesterday. But what I did do was to give my son memories of a summer day. And how great is that?

This morning I received an email from a PTA mom. She was letting everyone know that a boy in my son's grade at school died suddenly this month from complications of a ruptured appendix. I cannot imagine the pain his mother must be in. It is too much to bear I'm sure. I know she will only have the memories she created with him...so please, remember to let things go "un-done" when you can...make memories instead.

Summer morning...

2006-07-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

I had a perfect morning.

I woke up, took my shower, fed the cats, made a snack for my daughter, A, and got ready to go. My son, C, was not cranky that I told him he must do the obligatory ride along for the carpool and that was nice. We left at 8:15 to pick up 4 other girls and headed for the beach. All the girls are doing Junior Life Guards and today was the day that some of them were going to jump off the pier. I sensed that A would be nervous if I told her I was going to come watch and video tape her, so I just dropped them off and said "Have a fun day!".

Of course, then I drove down to the pier and walked out to the end to hide! We had to wait a while, maybe an hour before the group of JG's ran out to the end of the pier. My stomach got mommy-butterflies thinking about my precious daughter jumping 20 feet into the water, but she'd done it twice last year, I knew she'd be ok. After they passed my hiding spot, I scooted over to the edge of the pier and fired up my video cam and waited. I didn't have to wait long, those kids were jumping like lemming off a cliff! My video of A is great of her jumping, but the rest is me yelling "WHOO-HOO A! Way to GO! YAAAAAAYYY" and other such shouts! Apparently she didn't see me OR here me! Ah well. It was very exciting and I'm so proud of her. She is growing into such a strong and wonderful young woman!

And the rest of the morning went the same...C and I went to Seven-11 to get him a slurpee...me to PEETS for an ice coffee - Heaven I tell you! Then we drove down the way to where A would end up with the rest of the car pool girls and he played in the ocean while I watched. So nice. No stress, no worries...all good.

Let me just say "Thank You" to my hubby for working his tail off all these years so that I could be home with the kids and be able to experience days like today. Thanks C. Love you.

Things I hate...

2006-06-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

I'm not even sure how to SAY meme...I haven't looked it up in the dictionary either. But I've been tagged to do one by Tracey about the ten things I hate. Let's see what I can come up without thinking too hard....

10. I hate being late.

9. I hate it when other people are late.

8. I hate liver and onions.

7. I hate it when people throw cigarette butts out their car windows.

6. I hate buttermilk.

5. I hate speed metal. (music, that is...but it isn't really music...)

4. I hate the smell of cat poop.

3. I hate it that there are so many malls and shopping strips that all sell the same crap.

2. I hate it when people don't put things back where they found them.

1. Most of all I hate it that my dad has cancer in his throat and is having radiation...

***UPDATE 9/3: Pop's finished radiation and is on the road to recovery! I'm so glad.

What's goin' on?

2006-06-08T23:07:00.000-07:00

Well I've been stuck in the mire of what was "5th Grade Committee" hell. But it's all good now. We finished the "yearbook" and now all that's left is the "graduation" and the picnic.

Graduation is easy...we recruited a bunch of 4th grade mom's to set up the cake and punch, decorate the tables and serve the masses! Easy! 5th grade picnic will require a little more effort...filling water balloons the night before until my finger bleeds from tying knots...loading the car with miscellaneous distractions like the cd player, the limbo stick thingy, prizes for the lowest limbo-er and the last kids to catch the water balloon unbroken.

I'll be glad when school is out!

But then...that's when I'M going back to school! At forty-something I'm taking a summer school class at the University. I'm excited and terrified all at the same time. I haven't been to school, taken a test or been required to regurgitate information since 1988! It's a little intimidating. But it's a start. A start to what exactly, I'm not sure...something that I hope will lead to personal satisfaction and a little money on the side!

My kids are excited too. They already told me I could have a snack when I got home from school, but then I'd have to do my homework right away. And that I'd better be ready in the morning. Gotta love them! I hope they give me free time to read all my favorite blogs!

Set your mind at ease...

2006-05-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

..the Puberty and Menstruation video has not changed much in 30 years!

Ok, I admit it, I went to the library after school today to see what my sweet innocent 11 year old was going to watch this coming Thursday! I was curious to see if they were going to keep it low key and on the simple, biological level. Things have changed a lot over the years, so I wondered how graphic they were going to get. I wanted to have some "talking points", if you will, for any questions that may arise after she sees it. I mean, we've had "THE TALK" already, but this is with her friends and she's closer to actually crossing that threshold...

wait..I am getting weepy...

My BABY is growing up!!! She was just a baby a minute ago...all those "Firsts" are gone...first tooth, first roll over, first sit up, first step, first words, first day of pre-school, first day of Kindergarten, first loose tooth...waaaaahhhhh!

Ok - pull it together. I still have LOTS of "Firsts" to look forward to right? First period, first dance, first boyfriend, first kiss, (followed by first day of home schooling!), first driving permit...

Woah. I think I am feeling dizzy. I need to go lie down!

I am so stuck for ideas...

2006-05-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

This whole week I was supposed to be working on my daughter's personal page for the 5th grade yearbook. (Yes, there are such things!) It was actually due on Friday the 12th, but since I'm on the committee that is putting the whole damn thing together, I have taken the liberty to turn it in when I'm done with it!

So I'm torn. I want to put in something meaningful...y'know like a really good quote about girl power and how she should be strong and confident not get caught up in any superficial or shallow social scenes...but then, I don't want to get too heavy on her...I mean, this is 5th grade people, not high school.

I also don't know what pictures I should put on the page. I am pretty sure I don't want baby photos, but maybe one from each year at the school?

Should I list all her accomplishments from age 5 to 11?!?!

Personal notes from her dad and brother and me??

What kind of clip art, if any, should I use?? What about the border?

Damn. I am waaaay over thinking this and it's keeping me from actually DOING it!

How's this:

"Dear A,
Congratulations! We're so proud of you! We know you'll do great in Middle School!

We Love you!
Mommy, Daddy and C"

I think that oughtta cover it.

Mother's Day projects..

2006-05-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

Do you remember in school when you had to make cards for Mother's Day? Remember not being able to think of anything to write? Well, can I just say, I have the MOST eloquent kids around! And I AM partial! I was at one point smiling and then a moment later, welling up with tears.

My son, 8, gave me a giant card, you know, big construction paper folded in half... It has lots of balloons with hearts and XOXOX's in the sky. With it came a package wrapped in tissue paper. Here's what he wrote:

"Dear Mommy,
I hope you like this gift. I made it myself. It took HOURS! It's also breakable. You are the best mom EVER. Love, C"

Perfect. A keeper of a card if I ever had one! The breakable item was a vase with tissue paper decorations(a heart & a flower)pasted on the outside.

My daughter, 11, was hovering nearby waiting for me to open her gift. She was very proud of her String Art, also with a flower and a heart. It was beautiful, but nothing could have prepared me for her other class project. It's a nice piece of flowery stationary paper..it says:

Dedicated to Mommy
What I Love Best About You
by A

"Dear Mommy,
What I love best about you is that you are always supportive. You come to almost every swim meet and practice. You were there even the morning practices, when you would rather be in bed. You are always cheering me on. You encourage me in school too. You are the greatest mom ever and I love you. Have a Happy Mother's Day!
Love A"

Sent me right over the edge! (Though the part about me not wanting to get out of bed was just a LITTLE to close to home!)

I just loved the honesty from both of them. It's a wonderous thing being a mom and I do live for these very moments...those moments when I get some small inkling that I am making a difference. Sigh. It's just the best.

The Mommy Bond is strong...

2006-05-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

Here's to my mom-friend-extraodinaire, Tracey and the many special mommy times we have shared!

Can you believe the kids were ever that small?? And that our hair looked that way on a daily basis? And we didn't CARE? Yee-haw sister!

Beware of 11 year old girls working angles...

2006-05-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

BEWARE I say! They are "graduating" from elementary school and are on the verge of Middle school! They are starting to show signs of independent thinking and planning! It could get ugly.

Let me start by saying I didn't get a cell phone until last year. I just didn't see the need for it. I wasn't in "high demand"! Who could possibly need to speak to me so urgently that they couldn't wait for me to call them back? Well, as it turns out, I LOVE MY CELL PHONE! And I use it all the time!

And now my daughter wants one. Now. Because "everyone but" her and 4 friends have one. She's pointed out to me on the two occasions I was not there waiting for her after school and was 5 minutes late that she "could have called" me if she had a cell phone. To say what I wanted to know?? "You're late?" Duh. I pointed out to her that if all her friends but her had cell phones, she could have borrowed one to call me! She wasn't happy with that reply I don't think!

So now she's working angles with her friends.

One mom called me and said "Are you thinking about getting A. a phone?"

"No, I told her that I would "think" about it when she got to middle school."

"Oh, well she told T. that you were thinking about it and therefore I should be thinking about it too!"

That was 2 or 3 weeks ago. Yesterday she says to me "K. said that her mom might get her a phone if I get one." I said "Does K.'s mom know this?!" She says, "I don't know. But if I got one, then K. might get one too." What is going on??

A few hours later my sister-in-law was here and we're chatting about her son's graduation from High School and A. chimes in "You should get me a cell phone for graduation!" ...Graduation? From 5th grade? A cell phone? WHAT?!!?

I can't wait to hear what she says today.

There's some writing going on!

2006-05-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

Wow. I spent waaaay too much time reading blogs today. I have to say I am overwhelmed by the numbers of intelligent, humorous and well versed women out there in the blogosphere! Check any of my links - I have SO MANY more to add! I am inspired. That's all I really had to say...that and thanks Tracey for kicking my ass into it! xo k

I made some kids cry...

2006-05-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

I did. I really didn't mean to...but they didn't follow instructions so I called them "out". How was I to know that they were going to fall apart?

The game was Cake Limbo and I was in charge of it at the school Garden Party this weekend. I gave specific instructions at the start of each round. "You must go under the Limbo stick with your face looking at the sky, your shoulders parallel with the stick, your feet in line with each other. You may NOT turn your head or shoulders until you are clear of the stick. You may NOT squat in a sitting position to get under the stick. You must be on your feet, no knees or hands touching the ground when you get to the other side. And, obviously, you can't knock the stick off. If you do not follow these rules, I will call you 'out'." It doesn't sound so hard does it? I mean, I've got ten kids in a line to do this, I've got to get down to ONE kid. Nine kids have got to get called "out"!! Afterall, I've got 23 whole cakes to give away. Think about it, 10 kids per Limbo round...about 10 levels on the limbo stick, 23 cakes...this was going to take forever!

So this one kid goes through and he ducks his head to the side to get under the stick. I tell him nicely not to do that again, but let him go back in line. Second time through he does it again...I pretended not to see...I am not without understanding; he is only 7 or 8... The third and fourth time through I let it go. But then I'm thinking "I can't let this kid win, look at this other girl who is doing it RIGHT! She's totally struggling to keep her balance and yet, she does it RIGHT each time through!" So that was that. Next time he turned his head, I called him "out". He cried. What can I say? He didn't deserve to win. But he was a glutton for punishment and put his 2 tickets in to do it again. And again. And again. I'll tell you, he was there for most of the Garden Party! He did eventually get with a group of kids where he actually WAS the best and he did do it right and he DID win a cake.

The other little girl I made cry was actually the daughter of a friend of mine. She turned her little self all twisty to get under that stick and I was actually laughing when I told her she couldn't do that again or I would call her "out". Whoops. Wrong move. She was devastated! Ran over to her mom, buried her face and everything. I tried to get her to joint the game again (I was letting first time limbo mistakes slide for everyone!), but she wouldn't even look at me. I'm such an ogre.

Even my own son cried. I didn't make him cry. I just had to call him "out" when he fell on his back! It was down to him and another kid so the other kid won. What could I do? He didn't want to be consoled either. Just wanted to wallow in his misery and his failure to be the last Limbo-er. Sigh. I promised to bake him a cake this week.

I figured it out!

2006-05-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

"Yeah ME!" as my 11 year old daughter would say. I REALLY wanted the dots as my template and hadn't a clue how to move the sidebar from the bottom of the blog to to the top left. But I just figured it out and I'm feeling pretty http-saavy now!

**correction by 11 year old daughter..."It's not YEAH, it's YAY." I stand corrected.

Do you have a list?

2006-04-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

I love lists. I always have a list. It gives me great pleasure when I get to scratch something OFF my list...This week is no different. In fact, I have so many things on my list this week that by this time next week I should be REALLY SATISFIED with all the things I've accomplished!

Meantime, I actually have to DO the things on my list. None of the things on my list are BIG IMPORTANT things...they are just a lot of little things to do...things that need to be picked up, purchased, started or finished! I thought of this last night at 8:00 on my way to pick up 16 pink cake boxes (10x10x5) in Downey...because the party store 2 blocks from my house didn't have any more. The pink cake boxes themselves were not important, but the promise that I would have them available to those 16 people this morning at 9am was important.

So what am I trying to say? I guess it's just that all the little things you do in your day to day life really do make a difference. The people in my life may not always notice that the little things are done, but at least I have my list...I get to scratch things off and it feels GOOD!

Little Dog Turpie...

2006-04-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, I felt compelled to find a link to the story of "The Hobbyahs". Turns out it was "The Hobyahs" and the little girl did NOT get eaten up in the end. See what age can do to your memory? Still, it was a pretty awful story...

Here's a picture of our little dog Turpie...all four legs, a tail and his head intact!

All I really wanted was that horse...

2006-04-23T22:46:00.000-07:00

Me in the covered wagon at Knott's...

ok, it was a few years ago!

I've been "Tagged" and so here I go!

2006-04-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

Well here I am. I have been tagged. Tracey, I thank you! You are an inspiration to me and I hope to put out my own version of inspiration or humor...or I may just dump all my baggage here. Can I do that?! I suppose I can! It's just me and a few friends right? Super. (Or in the voice of my beloved Tante Charlotte: "SOO-PAH"!)

So, the Tag I got involves revealing interesting or unknown things about myself...I already forgot how many and I can't seem to post this AND read what the TAG said....so I'm winging it!

1. I am pretty much a coffee snob. I love Peets. Been drinking it since the mid 80's! I have been known to drink Starbucks and It's a Grind brews, but really, nothing compares to Peets! Thus, my screen and Blog name...

2. I have been with my husband for almost 22 years! Five years dating and almost seventeen in marriage!

3. I could eat a jar of Nutella with nothing but a spoon in a very short amount of time and not get sick!

4. I had a dog named Turpie when I was growing up. His name was from a really awful story called "The Hobbyahs"..."little dog Turpie barked and barked so that his master could neither sleep nor slumber...so in the morning he cut off his legs..." and so on!! He eventually lost his head and the Hobbyahs (they were nasty little gremlin types...) ate the master's daughter. Nice huh?

5. I got carded last December.

6. Growing up I always wished I had a horse to ride to school...a chestnut mare with a shiny black mane...

I still wish that!

Well how did I do? I tried hard NOT to think about this too much. I find that too much thinking keeps me from doing things! Thusly, I will try to do this blogging thing as often as I can...I'm sure it gets easier...doesn't it?

I'm sure it will all look better tomorrow morning with my fresh grind of Peet's in my mug!