Barnaclebutt

The Money Tree

2011-05-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who has nine, yes nine lovely children. I remember years ago asking her how she got her kids to do chores and her advice was that you make a "chore plan," introduce it to the family, do it for awhile, watch it lose momentum, then lather, rinse, and repeat. She said the main thing was to realize that starting a new plan is not an admission of failure, it's just part of the parenting gig.

In that spirit, here's the new plan we're trying at our house.

I call it, (musical fanfare please) The Money Tree.

Like my nicely organized paper center?

The plan is for the smalls to track their chores on the kitchen chalk board and at the end of each week they can pluck their allowance off of the money tree.

Some parents are against allowance...as in "why would we pay you to participate in being part of the family?" Or as my dad used to put it when I asked about allowance, "Do you like living here?"

Marc and I totally agree that kids really shouldn't be paid to do stuff around the house, but it turns out we were giving them all our money anyway, and at least this way they have to do some work before we fork it over. It motivates them and helps us feel better about never having cash.

Also, Marc likes saying "money tree." It makes him chuckle to himself.

Also, also, the older girls' allowance is fairly substantial. We are hoping to teach them some budgeting skills and whatnot so we're letting them manage their own clothing, entertainment and sundries funds.

In the end, I imagine this won't last terribly long, but, you know, it's a plan.

Mormon Helping Hands

2011-04-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Ellie and I cleaned up trash near the top of Mount Diablo as part of the Mormon Helping Hands project. The rest of the family was scattered to the winds with other activities, and I admit I was tempted to stay home and maybe snuggle and watch Pokemon with Ellie, but I decided "service is important," so we went and I am so glad we did.

You know how you never know which lessons are actually going to teach your children something? Well, this one seemed to particularly take with Ellie. When we got up the mountain (after a very long and twisty drive with Dayna and her girls) it was super windy and cold. The ranger was talking about hacking brush off of the trail and I was thinking "how can I get Dayna to turn around and take us home right now because Ellie is going to hate this and I don't want to deal with her?"

Such are my tiger mom skills.

But I knew Super Dayna wasn't going anywhere...so. Then the ranger said if we weren't prepared to work with a pick ax we could collect trash. He gave Ellie a reacher thingie, and me a bag and off we went.

And boy, oh boy did we collect trash. Ellie was a machine I tell you what! Most of the trash was sneakily hiding where it had been blown into these large low thickets. I am too big to crawl in there, but Ellie just went for it-crawling on her stomach at some points to get tiny bits of paper and stuff like bottle caps.

The best part was to see how proud she was of herself for taking care of the earth. She mostly gets that from school assemblies, but let's pretend it's because Marc and I taught her.

At one point she stopped me and pointed out the wind blowing the long grasses up the hill from us and commented on how it looked like a silver ocean. Then she said it was like the grass and trees and even the earth was singing.

I felt so glad we were there to experience it together. After an hour or so we snuggled up in a little grove of trees that worked like a wind break and just watched the grass sway.

It was like a million times better than Pokemon.

What's For Dinner?

2011-03-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

My general excitement level when it comes to preparing dinner is kind of low. Lately I've been focusing on quantity over quality-like it is more important to make 5-6 dinners a week that are okay than to make 3 really good meals but end up eating out the rest of the week. Why can't I make 5-6 great meals? Excellent question!

Last night I made a really scrumptious dinner though, and I am bursting to share; it's chicken tikka masala. I got this recipe from Katherine, the librarian at Ellie's school. She told me the ingredients and what to do with them, but no measurements. So here's what she told me-verbatim:

1. Saute the onions in butter until soft.

2. Broil the chicken rubbed with curry powder.

3. Add curry, chili powder,and a dash of ginger to the onions. Three parts curry to one part chili powder. Saute one minute.

4. Add one can of diced tomatoes with juice, chopped chicken, and half and half to the onions.

5. Simmer for twenty minutes and serve over Basmati rice.

Oh boy was this good! All my smalls liked it (except Ellie, she only eats white) and even went back for seconds.

I especially liked making this because I feel like an extra successful homemaker when I make foods from other countries and they come out well. Like if I make burgers, meh, who cares? But Chicken Tikka Masala...that's impressive.

Do I Stay or Do I Go?

2011-03-08T13:15:00.000-08:00

Everyone already knows that I love to read, and usually I am totally out and proud to announce that I love kids books. I say things like, "I love juvenile literature." Firmly. Because I was raised by my parents, certainly, but also by Narnia, Oz, Middle Earth, King Arthur, Nancy Drew, Anne and Emily, Gulliver, and a host of other childhood friends. Add to that that one of the best joys of motherhood is access to the constant stream of books my kids bring home, from Ivy and Bean to Uglies and Pretties.

Yep, I'm proud of my affinity for all of the non-adult genres, but last week when I was happily browsing at the delightful downtown Barnes and Noble I really had to own it. There I was, blissfully perusing the jackets in the Young Adult section, when I looked up and noticed the sign above the shelves. It read, "Teen Paranormal Romance."

Oh. I know. I do like those.

A Christmas Post

2010-12-28T19:58:00.000-08:00

What is it about not writing that makes it so hard to start writing?

Our Christmas report is that we had a wonderful Christmas. I got Marc an ipad for his birthday (fondly known as Marcmas since it is on the 23rd) making me the awesomest wife in

town. And I made this rather large purchase without consulting Marc first, which is a first. I am very impressed with myself and my grown-upness and since I keep telling everyone about it I figure I might as well talk about it here too.

In the past I have been the pretty set on keeping certain Christmas traditions, like what we eat and how we open gifts. This year it was funny that Maddie and Katie have turned into the tradition police. Anytime someone suggested deviating from the usual Christmas order they became completely indignant. Ah, it was lovely and extremely validating.

This post is disjointed with too many made up words but I am too lazy to fix it. I am also too lazy to upload pictures from my camera so here are the only three I took with my phone (which syncs with my computer):

The first one is of the wonderful Christmas bunnies that Paige made for me, and the second one is our Christmas picture.

Merry Christmas!

Field Tripping

2010-10-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

On Friday I got to go on a field trip with Ellie's class to a local ranch that is preserved as it was in the early 1800's.

Here's our girl pumping water and listening to the Ranger.

The picture of the stove up there? That's from inside the house; I am having lovely daydreams about making bread and stew-just like in "Little House..."

Mom Freak

2010-10-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

Writing has seemed impossible lately, no time at all to be had around here.

But that's just my easy excuse. Really really I haven't been

writing because I only have one thing on my mind and I'm

afraid it is about as trite as can be. Maddie is growing up.

Last week she asked me if she could watch "Glee" at her friend's house after her church activity on Tuesday night. I told her she should probably come home and study instead.

She said she didn't have much studying to do.

I said "likely story."

She insisted she had it under control.

And then it hit me...why on earth was I sitting there arguing with her about watching a television show when in less than a year she is going to be flying off to college and doing work or watching t.v. at her very own-totally out of my control-discretion?

Arguing was crazy. I told her to go. I mean, I have to be letting go here.

Man alive it turns out I hate letting go. In my head I get that every single parent goes through this, but in my heart I feel like I am the only one whose heart has hurt like this. I am a master at visualizing the worrisome future, and I

just can't even imagine life without my sweet Maddie in the house.

Have you got out your tiny violin for me yet?

Well if you need more proof of how she is just growing right up whether I like it or not then take a gander at these pictures from her senior photo shoot.

And if that's not bad enough, which it totally is, I was talking to Marc about where we should go for our 25th anniversary (because it's only 5 years away and to travel is divine and I must have trips to obsess about) when I realized the awful truth:

In five years Katie will be gone too, Jonathan will be 17, and Ellie will be 13!

I know. It is simply too much.

Hoping to Adopt

2010-09-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

clickity click here

Perhaps you noticed the new button I added on the right side over there? It is for my very sweet-more-delightful than I can say sister-in-law and her husband.

They are waiting to adopt their very own angel baby. Oh. Oh. Oh! I cannot wait for that baby to get here! Okay, I know it's not about me, but I just want that little bundle of niece or nephew SO badly. I want to crochet booties gosh darn it! We all do.

Well, Ellie, actually, is slightly against the new and as yet unknown baby...because right now when her lovely Aunt and Uncle arrive they always come bearing presents and patience.

Patience to teach her to ice skate (Troy), and curl her hair (Becca). Patience for marathon long board games (both of them), and midnight movie premiers (Becca). They will play hide and seek and jump on the trampoline and read stories past bedtime.

It's fine, I know I rank way lower on the funometer. I just wish adoption was faster...I think I could be the fun aunt.

Maddie and Katie are excited though, they want to spoil a cousin the way their Aunt Becca spoiled them the whole time they were growing up.

So if you know a brave birth mother who is looking for the perfect parents, please tell them about our Becca and Troy. They are kind, smart, fun, talented, and devoted to each other.

What can I say more than that if anything happens to us, Marc and I would be honored to have them parent our children?

Bad Monday

2010-09-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

I don't love Monday. It means laundry and groceries and recovering the house from the weekend. It means another week away from my sweetheart. This particular Monday will include a trip to the store to exchange Jonathan's new shoes with the soles coming off which I find annoying.

I wish I could write like CJane who is thoughtful.

I wish I could write like Shawni who is inspiring.

I wish I could write like Kacy who is funny.

But all I want to do is go back to bed, and instead I have to make it!

Healthy Cookies?

2010-09-16T20:17:00.000-07:00

One of my less favorite parts of back to school is back to school lunches. I always wonder what parts of the lunch my kids actually eat and what parts they are throwing away; I think they eat the cookies.

Actually, I'm pretty sure they eat the cookies.

So instead of sending them with chips ahoy and nutter butters, which we love but know are full of nasty chemicals and whatnot, I decided to try to make a healthier cookie.

They came out so good I thought I'd share. These are actually tips I got from my cousin Lori who is a favorite vendor at the San Francisco Underground market for her delicious and ubber healthy energy bars and cookies. Click here for her website.

Okay, so here's what I did, using my regular chocolate chip cookie recipe as a guide:

1. Substituted 1/2 of the four with whole wheat flour. Lori said whole wheat pastry flour from Whole Foods is the best, but I just used what I had.

2. Substituted 1/2 the butter with Smart Balance.

3. Substituted 1/2 the white sugar with Xylosweet.

And that's it. I just mixed these up and the kids all ate their dough samples without noticing any difference. If all goes well I'll increase the "healthy" substitutions. I also followed a recipe that has oatmeal in it.

And yes, I do realize the better parenting option would be to teach my kiddos that they don't actually need a cookie in their lunches, but I like to lead by example and I'm not ready to go there!

Looks Like We Made It

2010-09-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

Last month Marc and I celebrated our 20th anniversary. We spent a week in Playa del Carmen...*wistful sigh*...it was perfect.

We swam with giant sea turtles.

Visited Chichen Itza.

Snorkled through Dos Ojos, some amazing caves, or "cenotes."

Visted Tulum

Zip lined over a lagoon and canoed back across it.

Scootered around Cozumel.

Snorkled off the beach and around beautiful lagoon.

Ate copious amounts of shrimp tacos, ceviche, chips and salsa, fish.

Got massages on the beach.

Relaxed.

Shopped.

Slept.

Swam.

and kissed.

It was perfect. Dear Marc, I love you more than ever.

Make a digital slideshow

The Mormon Trek

2010-09-07T21:47:00.000-07:00

There are certain pictures that it would be a true shame to miss posting. I speak, of course,of trek.

This is a particularly Mormon activity where the teenagers dress up as pioneers and reenact the journey that the Mormon pioneers made from Illinois to Utah. They spend the long weekend pushing handcarts, sleeping under the stars, and learning about what the early pioneers endured to secure their religious freedom.

The kids have to take turns carrying live chickens in crates, flour sack "babies" and each other when they are marked as "injured or sick." Heh, heh. I know. It's a wonderful character building experience. It still makes me laugh.

Maybe it's because James, one of their amazing youth leaders, had all of the girls convinced they would have to kill and eat the chickens if they wanted any food and that there were no latrines along the trail they would be walking. You should have heard those girls scream. Heh, heh...I love being a mom.

2010-09-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

There are some advantages to lolling around as an invalid all week:

Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross = very good

and

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier = very very good

Where I Am An Everyday Hero

2010-08-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

It's true, I have been up to something. Something pretty wonderful. Last Tuesday I donated a kidney for my father-in-law.

Before you freak, we are both recovering well.

I got home last night and am being pampered in bed; John is still in the hospital getting poked non-stop but hopefully will be home soon.

He didn't actually get my kidney though; we are part of this amazing program at UCLA called a Living Donor Chain. Over a year ago we found out that Dad needed a kidney transplant and that he was waiting for a deceased donor.

None of his own children could donate, and my mother-in-law is a paraplegic with a host of medical problems (sorry mom) so as much as she wanted to donate, it was out of the question.

In secret I wondered if I could donate. I read up about it online and learned that the screening process is extremely rigorous. Before I said anything about it to anyone, even Marc, I made an appointment with my doctor for a super duper physical and to ask if she thought I was likely to be a good donor. And by "good" I meant able to be a donor with little or no actual risk to my own health 'cause, you know, I've got kids and stuff. She said I was very healthy and she saw no reason I couldn't go for it.

Later that night I whispered to Marc what I had in mind and was surprised that he was not so gung ho as I. He was worried. He didn't want me having a major surgery. He held me and said he didn't want to talk about it.

I told him how safe it was.

He doubted.

I told him I was going to do it.

He pouted.

I said to pray about it.

He admitted I could do what I wanted but he didn't have to like it.

A few months later I went to UCLA for my first round of tests and got some bummer news, I wasn't a good match for my father-in-law. Then the doctors asked how I felt about being a part of a chain...where my kidney would go to someone who I matched, and our dad would get a kidney from someone he matched.

This video explains it really well.

So now, about a year later, I finally got to do it! I donated to a gentleman from Southern California. His wife recently donated to a little girl on the East Coast. All in all our chain is the longest in the world and is up to 44 people.

Everyone wants to know how I feel.

I admit it, I am feeling pretty pleased with myself.

Okay, I WOULD Like to Save Time in a Bottle

2010-08-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

This year Jonathan finished elementary school. In a few weeks he'll be starting Junior High. Only they call it "Middle School," now because it is 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Go ahead, ask me how I feel about it.

Weird! That is how I feel, and more weird that the usual slight buzz of anxiety that I enjoy on a regular basis. Because he is just my little boy, yes? And I'm totally not ready for him to do anymore growing up stuff. I kind of love it when he asks me to snuggle with him before bed, and when he says he loves me. I could just drink that. Will he still feel that way as he gets older? Will he still cuddle when he's 14? Or 16? I'm going with "yes he will," just so I don't have to go back to bed and die right now.

I have plenty of stuff to do today and whimper is not one of them.

Here are the pictures from the 5th grade promotion back in June. Jonathan is with his great friend Rob. You will note that Rob is a very snazzy dresser; I told Jonathan that morning that Rob would be looking quite dapper and didn't he want to get on the dapper train too? But slacks and a polo was as far as he was willing to go for me.

Here is some lovely footage of the kids singing at their closing program. Maybe only a mother can love this?

Ellie's Baptism

2010-08-04T12:01:00.001-07:00

Another lovely thing that I can't skip blogging about is Ellie's baptism. All year long she has been talking about when her Dad would "bapmatize" her.

I have absolutely loved each of my smalls baptisms. I feel like the road to eternity is illuminated for a moment and it is so sweet to see my angel on that path.

It was wonderful to have Marc's family with us! Becca and Troy flew out from North Carolina and one of the most lovely parts was when Becca and Katie sang "I Like to Look for Rainbows." Made my waterworks work overtime.

Sadly, I forgot to charge my camera so I am low on pictures but here are some of the shots I did get. I love that little Ellie so much and I was so proud of her.

Hooray for Tassel Mania!

2010-08-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

I got lots of stuff for my birthday; 40, it's a biggie. Let me tell me, I mean you, about one of my favorites. Once upon a time at night, Marc and I were snuggling and when he asked what I wanted I bounced up and down in bed and exclaimed "TASSEL SUPPLIES!"

Like on a graduation cap?" he asked quizzically.

"NO! Like The Nester makes!" I said with more bounce.

"Will this be expensive?" he wondered.

"If it was cheap I wouldn't be asking for it for my birthday," I admitted.

So tra la la I got to go buy tassel supplies and the paramount tassel supply that is The Nester's downloadable e-book, "The Ultimate Tassel Guide." (Don't be jealous; just go get it. It's only ten bucks.)

And here's what I made! So much fun. I gave two to Paigy when I went to visit and they look so fine in her house.

So I can't show you how to do it online cause I don't want to steal from my best friend who doesn't know me whatsoever (Nester), but if we are in person friends come on over and we will play tassel-Yea! I can't wait!

She's Just Seventeen

2010-08-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

I left something super important out of my last post. While we were in Palm Desert Maddie turned 17! Frankly, I find this remarkable. How can someone as obviously young and fresh as I have a 17 year old? Two words...child bride.

Also, Maddie, you are as delicious today as the day you were born. Here's why:

1. You smell good, that's always been important to me.

2. You value a good book and have a (very) willing suspension of disbelief.

3. You don't know the difference between pot and marijuana!

4. You have a tender heart and love your friends.

5. You stand for truth and righteousness with determination.

6. You manage our home quite well for such a short person.

7. I like the way you dance.

8. You know how to save money; weird.

9. You appreciate good food like a Fosse.

10. You are stronger than you look, sweet daughter!

Palm Dessert or Paradise?

2010-07-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

*Post Edit--Desert is spelled with one S, whoops.

The week after I got back from Virginia, we went to Palm Desert for family vacation with my Mom and Dad. We spent a lot of time lying by the pool under the shade thingers with mist spouts. Really, I could make a life for myself there. Now that all my kiddos can swim, laying by the pool has taken on a whole different...I don't know how you say...wonderfulness.

We also spent two days doing Disney in honor of Ellie's "It's Great to be Eighth" birthday. The cutest part was when we had a gazillion dollar lunch at Ariel's Grotto and as Ellie met each princess she would murmur, "This is the best day of my life." Many, many photos were taken, but my gift to you is a collage.

P.S. My Dad is not permanently in a wheel chair, but he hurt his back and the doctor said he better use one at the kingdom or stay home gosh darn it. First he rented a stripped down model that someone had to push...after about 7 minutes of not being in charge of where he was going he went back and rented an electric one. I knew that was going to happen...really, I did.

Hi Ho Shelley the Slacker Here

2010-07-27T22:06:00.000-07:00

It is time to bust out of this writers block by just writing. Actually, I haven't really had a block, just a lack of time. Since we gave up the TV, a kid is always on my computer, and I hate wrestling it away from them so I just read my book and don't blog. See? We need TV...just so I can have my tappy top back.

The Bourne Ultimatum, yes, it's very good; no, it's not like the movie.

Also, we've had a packed solid summer and it is hard for me to move on and blog in the present when I feel like I need to record everything cool that has happened in the recent past. To that end I think I'll do a couple of pictures and a quick sum up for the next couple of days and then my psyche will again be free to roam around the completely irrelevant stuff I like to write about.

It all started in May when I went to Virginia for a long weekend with the lovely Paige and Company. It was a gift from my parents. We spent our time analyzing our children, eating junk, watching "Australia" and crocheting. Paige has turned into a little bit of a yarn nut since I moved to California. My moving left a big ole gaping hole in her life and I guess this is how she had to fill it.

Jeff mentioned that if his friend flew across the country to be with him and he insisted on teaching that friend how to crochet, they might not be friends anymore. But I don't feel that way. I don't!

I'll prove it; look what I made!

I had a great time with a wonderful friend and I am happy that I can tie fancy knots now.

Next stop: knitting and making a Little Cotton Rabbit (I can't wait). It was fantastic to hang with Paige and Gretchen and go to lunch with Stephanie, Jan, Heather, and Rachel. I miss you all!

Tips for Spoiling the Child

2010-05-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

Probably there are a lot of ways you can successfully end up with a spoiled child but, dear friends, I can only share how we have done it.

An example of what works for us follows.

Today Ellie had some allowance burning a hole in her little pink wallet. Burning! We had lunch at the Rainforest Cafe near fisherman's wharf with Grandma Diana, her friend Dave, Billy, Bill and my cousin Lori to celebrate my upcoming significant birthday and Ellie was dying to buy a pair of crocs in the gift shop for $17. "Nope," I told her, "save your money for Disneyland."

So then she found a t-shirt for $5, and I acted like a broken record.

How about a lollipop for $1? No.

She then did the thing wherein she stomps, and huffs, and says, "this is the WORST day ever...blah, blah, blah." And she won't talk to anyone and she stands off by herself and is pretty much a sulky stinker. Yuck.

Later today, when she was at Target with Marc, he let her buy a ceramic piggy bank because getting the other parent to let her do what she knows she isn't supposed to is her super power. If you want to develop your child's inner sneak I highly recommend this type of positive reinforcement.

But wait! Marc and I aren't the only ones involved in her spoiling.

As she was carrying her new bank into the house, Ellie dropped it on the front porch and it splintered into many pink plaid pieces. I was in the house, and Ellie came running to me looking for consolation and, perhaps, a refund. But at this moment I was firm. "Bad things happen to good people," I told her. I thought she might learn some lesson about consequences, or maybe not sneaking because of cosmic retribution, or something but it was not to be.

Apparently her three big sibs saw the debacle and immediately demanded that Marc right this gross injustice and buy her a new piggy bank. And Marc said, "no way," 'cause we're all about saving the monies for vacation right now.

So meanwhile Ellie is sprawled on my bed carrying on about how awful Target is and they "shouldn't make toys for children that aren't plastic because they should know that little children are going to drop them and it is not fair," when who should come to her rescue but the three big sibs. Yes, they pooled their resources and all three of them decided to buy her a new pink piggy bank and Maddie even said she would go to Target right then to get it.

So see? This level of spoiling is not entirely the work of her parents. It takes a village.

p.s. Thanks for the birthday lunch everyone!

A Bunch of Stuff

2010-05-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

So far the TV experiment has resulted mainly in Marc and I watching a lot of TV on my laptop and Ellie watching Ella Enchanted maybe twenty times out on the biggie TV. Obviously it was not a perfect plan; some tweaking is in order. But we are saving $50+ dollars a month...so...that's good.

Yesterday I made Peking chicken for dinner and took it to my parent's house. I am still happy about how good the chicken turned out. The trick, according to my recipe, was to plunge each piece of chicken into a pot of boiling water for one minute to "render the fat" (whatever that means). For some reason that has been on my mind all day today. I think it's because I've been trying to loose weight and so the phrase "render the fat" is kind of fascinating to me. The result was that the skin was extra brown and crispy, just like in a restaurant.

I also went to the Asian market and got moo-shu wrappers and hoisan sauce.

Tomorrow Riley gets his summer hair cut. I love the way he smells when he gets back from the groomer. Like lavender. I love it so much that I will likely spend the better part of the afternoon with him on the couch. That sounds creepy. This is one of the weird things about blogging--when I write something like that and it's true, but sounds extra strange, I don't know if I should delete it or leave it in the interest of transparency? Because my life is SO important.

When the girls got home from school today Katie came running upstairs to tell me I had to come catch the "huge" lizard in their bathroom. I went to grab a Tupperware container and she was like "No! You need a bigger tupper!" It made me nervous but I just acted like it was fine and went downstairs. Sometimes if I act like something doesn't bother me then it actually won't. I got over killing spiders that way.

So the lizard was hiding under a toilet paper wrapper on the floor. I actually got it scooped in the container on the first try, but Maddie and Katie screamed so loudly when I lifted it up that I dropped the whole thing and it scuttled behind the sink. It wasn't too big, but it was bigger than most of the little lizards we see outside.

Of course Jonathan, the only one in our house who might actually like to catch a lizard, was out riding his bike.

So I completely lost my cool and screamed too, plus I screamed at the girls not to scream because they were making me screamy. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Like that. Then I caught it a second time and let it go outside. It was extra long and slithered back and forth like a snake when it ran.

And that's my day.

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

I love any day, really, that involves giving me presents. For the record, today was quite fine. Jonathan gave me a bouquet of roses from our yard. Katie painted a picture of a giant sunflower for me, Ellie made me a beautiful picture at school and Maddie and Katie gave me the newest Nancy Drew game (don't judge! Nancy is super cool...I have learned many useful sleuthing skills from Nancy).

I wanted to make dinner for my mom but we had to take it to her house because Lani, my sister, doesn't travel. In the car on the way there we had a family meeting to go over what it means when I say "Grammy will not be cooking or cleaning tonight." My kids can be a little fuzzy on those kinds of things.

Speaking of which, thank you Marc for making sure that went according to plan. Eventually I sneaked back to my sisters room to snuggle her to sleep (heaven) and when I came out-viola! The kitchen was clean. There is hardly anything on earth I love more than clean things that I didn't clean.

Happy Mother's Day, then, to all the women who have mothered me. May all your clean dreams come true.

Party On

2010-05-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

Marc and Ellie went to the Butterfly dance at Ellie's school last Friday. If you didn't know, at our school "butterfly" is code for "daddy-daughter." So moms, they're not allowed in,darn it. But Marc took this fabulous video of our budding Martha Graham. Enjoy.

The Magic Box

2010-04-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

Marc is making us give up television. To be fair, when we decided to cancel Dish I was on board with the plan. Our family watches vast and massive amounts of stupid television and none of us really have the self control to turn it off and do other things.

Marc and I discussed how we would like to use our time in the evenings to plan, play with our kids, visit with each other, and do other great and good works. We decided that our main problem is that in spite of our best intentions, by eight o'clock we are crazy tired and we will always pick door number one with lay on the couch and watch DVR-ed shows behind it.

So we're cutting off the juice.

And like I said, I was in favor of this right up until today when the screen went blank. And now I am in a mild state of anxiety and unease. Where are my shows? My comfy, funny, lovely shows?

I called Marc at work to tell him that the TV really goes bye-bye when you cancel and he was all, "good." But wait until he gets home. I predict he is not going to like this quiet one little bit.

So we'll see how it goes. I wonder if we will be able to stay all granola virtuous or if we will cave in. Besides gaining more productive time, not having to listen to the Disney Channel,and purging our brains of all that prime time junk, the main benefit I see to dumping the tube is that I will get to brag about how myfamily never watches TV and act slightly superior.

I'm not at all sure it will be worth it.

What about you? PLEASE leave a comment and tell me if you've had any success with limiting TV for you and your kids.

Return to the Gift of Crazy Mom

2010-04-28T07:47:00.001-07:00

First of all, blogger is being very weird this morning.

post edit* I started writing this like a month ago when I had just finished OM, but then my computer and blogger conspired against me so the post languished in my draft section until just now when I found it and decided to try again...because Jonathan deserves a post.

Second, LOOK at my little OMers at the regional tournament last Saturday! Jonathan's team of 10 and 11 year old boys took on the problem "Return to the Gift of Flight."

They had to make six different aircraft that completed six different flight plans like "touch down and take off" and "drop something onto a target," and they had to used at least four different propulsion systems. Complicated? Yes.

Every time I coach OM there's a moment (a very long moment) when I am certain my team will definitely not be ready for the competition...a moment when all seven boys are bouncing off my walls, making disgusting noises, and yelling about ninjas and grenades, and I KNOW they will never actually solve the long term problem.

Because they are crazy. And I wish I had never said I would coach. It is a sad, sad moment.But then every year an OM miracle happens and they, using massive amounts of duct tape, manage to get it together. This year we had helium dirigible that was powered by a blowdryer too!

Generally I am not a competitive person, but my boys came in third place out of 10 teams. If they had got second they would have moved onto the state competition. They missed second place by three lousy points and I am convinced they would have got those points except one boy's paper costume blew away while he was walking through the parking lot and he couldn't retrieve all of it. I know I shouldn't be, but I am bugged.

The most ridiculous part of that sentence is the fact that actually going to states would be my own personal hell. But making sense was never really my strong suit.

Where I Can't get off my Soap Box, Even Though I Want to

2010-04-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Maddie went to her Junior Prom. Really. Yes I am having a hard time digesting that my baby girl is old enough for a prom...with a date...looking like this:

Truly she was as beautiful as can be and my heart is full of all kinds of monumentally sappy stuff, but lets leave that behind and discuss how tasteful her dress and her friend Serene's dress are compared to all of the other 16 year old girls'.

Let us also ponder what is on the mind of these lovely young ladies mothers and fathers. As in, WHAT are they thinking? I know I'm sounding like a massive prude here, and these dresses are certainly more tasteful than many we saw while we were shopping, but really these girls aren't 25 years old at a club, they are 16 year old girls going to a high school dance! I hurts my heart to see them all dressed up like their bodies are a commodity.

On a happier note (one that won't make Maddie have to die), Maddie and her friend Kirk had a great time.

And Marc and I had a bittersweet moment, taking pictures, sending her off, and then collapsing on the couch to wait for her text saying that the dance was fun and she was safe at her friend's house for a sleepover. Where does the time go?

It's All Complaining

2010-04-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

I am sad because part of not paying an even bigger chunk of taxes was making a contribution to our 401K thingie. And for some reason, like we are poor planners, I wasn't planning on it. But then Marc said we had to do it anyway even if I had all kinds of vacation fantasies for that money.

But now it's gone until we are sixty-gasp-five.

I try to comfort myself by saying that it has gone to a better place where it can grow and get better. It is safe from accidental spending. Marc says I talk like it has gone to the Celestial Kingdom.

I am also sad because we had the stomach flu for the last week. Today even my dog is throwing up. Grossness! I keep cleaning and it keeps coming. But at least I can make him stay outside and barf...which unfortunately doesn't work with my kids seeing as how they can open the door and all.

As long as I'm discussing things that bug let's just go for it.

I am tired of my car lights burning out.

I'm sick of people saying diet coke dehydrates you (ICE people!).

There are a ton of restaurants right here in my own home town of Walnut Creek that I haven't been to and I know I won't get to for a long time because of budget constrictions and I tell you what, it REALLY chaps my hide!

I wish my car had a rear horn so I could honk back at people who honk at me.

And finally, what is wrong with Modern Family that they can't get a new episode up every week? Laziness, that's what I call it!

And one more thing, I want a tassel for my hutch but I don't want to make it OR buy it. It should just appear.

My friend Shawni always writes positive and uplifting things on her blog. If I have bummed you out in anyway, you should find her in my sidebar and go over there. Go.

It's so annoying to be responsible for other people's feelings. Meh.

Money Matters

2010-04-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

Paige and I spent the morning on the phone discussing how our children are not really responsible with money. We decided that actions must be taken. We considered many many possible actions but since we are both basically lazy moms we didn't really settle on an exact plan.

Does anyone have any ideas? For teenagers?

Chalkboard Paint Project

2010-04-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

Definitely I should be doing something besides blogging. I could set up quicken, fold the baskets of laundry in my room, or mop (I REALLY ought to mop). I could wash the dog or clean up the breakfast room. My room needs to be dusted too. Probably you have stuff to do besides read blogs, so I guess that makes us even. I suggest we both concentrate on ignoring unpleasant tasks and enjoy our computer time!

Anyway, a few weeks ago I painted the door to my kitchen with chalkboard paint. Lots of people in blogland have been using chalkboard paint in their homes, but I think they all did it like a year ago. Not only am I a copy cat, I'm a slow copy cat. Oh well, I like it a lot. The benefit of being slow is that I could ignore all of the recipes for homemade chalk paint and go strait to buying it at ACE, where they are also about a year behind everyone in blogland.

I used to write reminders to myself on my hand; it worked well for me because I am infinitely good at losing little bits of paper and forgetting to look at my calendar. Then I got to an age where it feels embarrassing to have things scribbled on my hand, a lovely French manicure would be so much more appropriate. But the kitchen door/chalk board works a lot like writing on my hand. I see the same important message several times a day, and it stays there until I wash it off.

Since I painted both sides I have room to put the week's menu and the small's chore charts on it too. Jonathan really likes seeing what I plan (I use the term loosely) to make for dinner during the week. He was inspired to hug the door when he saw "flank steak" up there.

A Load of Books

2010-04-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

I spent a bunch of time today trying to make my family room bookshelves look good. It doesn't seem like it should be that hard, but all my attractive tasteful looking books are in the living room built ins and the books that are left to make their way in the family room are the sad, tatty paper backs that I can't stand to part with. It's hard to make them look good even with candles and creative color coordinated stacking. I love The Man Who Ate the 747, obviously I can't part with it, even if the cover does look like this:

I ended up editing out a TON of children's picture books that Ellie doesn't look at any more. This was bittersweet and I comforted myself by keeping two shelves full of baby books that I'm saying are for my grandbabies. Weird. But viola!

My Precarious Balance

2010-03-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

This month has been a study in getting my balance back, if I ever had it. I've blogged about how excited I was to be the community manager for www.mommycast.ning and about how I'm working in my Dad's State Farm office part time. I really truly hopefully crazily thought I could do both and still be a rockin' wife/mom...but I was woefully wrong.

So then I had to spend a month worrying and agonizing and writing pretend resignation letters in my head to my bffs at mommycast who have always taken such good care of me and it was AWFUL. Because after evaluating everything it was clear that the internet job was the one that had to go, even though "community manager" sounds way cooler than "insurance personage."

But here is the thing, right now feels like the most critical parenting time Marc and I have braved (faced, imagined, dealt with, weathered, been blessed with...what is the word I am looking for?) and I really need to be here for it 100%.

Each child is on the cusp of major growth and change and our family dynamics are shifting too. Maddie is almost an adult, Katie is in the throws of teenagerness, Jonathan will receive the Priesthood in our church and start middle school in the fall, and Ellie will be baptized this summer. Sometimes I feel like I am living in the middle of a tornado. Marc and I are realizing we have to really plan and work to make sure everything that needs to happen in our home actually happens. And then it happens maybe half the time. But we are committed to keeping our focus and doing our very best.

Because boy, oh boy do I love these kids!

Overworked?

2010-02-25T21:26:00.000-08:00

See Ellie? She doesn't want to get up in the morning. I don't either; the last few days I begin my morning libations with a minor panic attack. There is So much to Do. And I know from years of experience that I am completely incapable of doing it.

The question is-which of all the "good" things I have signed on for do I need to let go? Or can I organize myself (HA!) better? Or maybe I've just had an unusually frustrating and busy two weeks? Yesterday when a PTA mom cornered me at school and asked, "What position on the PTA Board do you want to take next year?" I just about cried.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" I asked in my most horrified voice. Can't she tell by looking at me that I. Can't. Handle it?

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" she replied. Man, those PTA ladies are tough as nails. I guess I'm doing book fair next year. Is it silly to hope Marc and I will take the kids and sail around the world instead?

Oh, and anyone who suggests the answer to my woes is getting my kids to do more will be taken outside and sniveled on until they are sorry. Soggy and sorry. Because obviously the answer to poor parenting is better parenting...duh. But I'm totally looking for the easy way out here. Just so you know. Only suggestions that qualify as easy (like "hire a maid with the money I'm sending you") will be considered.

My Painting

2010-02-25T21:10:00.000-08:00

Here's an update on my birthday picture. I got a bird! Marc is working on the blossoms still, he says he wants to change the colors but has to wait until the paint is dryer.

I love the nest.

The Syringa Tree

2010-02-20T22:29:00.000-08:00

My computer broke last week when I cleverly left it on the couch and Riley knocked it to the floor. I haven't been blogging because it is such a pain to use Marc or Maddie's computer. I know, I'm a baby.

But tonight we saw the play The Syringa Tree at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Wow, it was good!

When I found out it was a one woman show that lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission I thought, "huh." And when it started with that one woman on an almost bare stage swinging on a swing suspended from the ceiling talking like a little girl I thought, "really?" See how I like to stay open minded? Wondering if this might be a teensy bit dull but willing to give it a chance?

It turns out Shannon Koob, the main (and only) actor, plays something like 20 different characters to tell the story of Elizabeth, a little girl growing up in South Africa during apartheid. She is amazing in how she portrays the different characters who are white, black, men, women, young and old. I know it sounds confusing, but by the end of the play she has scenes with multiple characters talking in such different voices and with such different faces and body language that you can tell them all apart.

It made me think of one really amazing dance.

Anyway, off to bed (last insurance class at 8a.m. tomorrow) but I had to post in case, you know, Shannon Koob reads my blog and wants to know how I thought she did. I thought she was incredible.

Oh Yeah, I Did Post That Picture

2010-02-09T20:52:00.000-08:00

Give a perfectly normal, occasionally cool woman a teenager and BAM, she looses every ounce of cool she ever had.

Well it's not like they're so normal either.

My 5 Minutes

2010-02-09T12:52:00.000-08:00

Paige and me in the hats she knitted for us.

So that was kind of weird. I just finished talking to Paige and Gretch about my new cool job as the community manager for the Mommycast Ning social network. We talked on camera. Because I'm gonna be on Mommycast! Wow. I've known Gretchen and Paige since before Mommycast was even born...and even though they like to tell scary stories about the trouble our kids get in together, I never thought I'd be on the show.

Of course I had to do some serious preparation to get ready to be filmed. Yesterday I set up the computer video cam in my living room and practiced talking in front of it. I tried it in several locations to try to figure out where I would get the "best light" (whatever that is) and also only show the select part of our home that looks maybe like tasteful grown ups live here.

I had narrowed my wardrobe selection down to two possibilities and I modeled each one for Maddie and Katie and examined myself on video. Lots. I wondered if I should wear jewelery and tried on several necklaces, but I decided I shouldn't.

I noticed that I have a big neck wrinkle forming, but it was too late to do anything about it, even if I knew what to do. I thought lots about all the weird things I shouldn't do on video, like talk really loud and fast over Paige and Gretchen like I do in real life or make weird faces when I talk, also like I do in real life.

I went to bed feeling pretty ready, but then last night Ellie woke up with the whole fever, soar throat, ear ache, throw up gig going on. I was up with her past 3 am. Of course I felt bad for her, but my biggest worry was that she'd be home with me when it was time for our video interview (nice mom, I know). Ellie finds cameras completely irresistible; unless I was ready to lock her in her room, I knew no matter how sick she was she wouldn't be able to leave me alone while I talked to Paige and Gretch.

My Mom came to my rescue and said she'd skip work to take care of Ellie but still, the morning did not go quite like I had planned. Like when I was racing around to wash the couch slip cover so that it wouldn't smell like throw up I thought, "this is not how the morning when I become a celebrity is supposed to go."

I'll let you know when the video goes up on Mommycast but if you want you could go over to Mommycast.ning right now and check it out. While you're there you might feel like becoming a member and then trying out all the nifty features like uploading a video, sharing a link to something you like, or sharing a post from your blog?

If you want.

And since the site is so new and you'll be doing me a solid I'll try to feature your stuff on the main page...you'll be famous like me!

And if you do play around over there, pretty please leave me a comment on the forum page or send me a message letting me know what you think...especially what you'd like to see different!

That would be soooooo awesome!

It's Like a Disease

2010-02-07T21:53:00.000-08:00

Is it too early to start obsessing, I mean thinking, about my birthday? Marc is painting a picture for me and I am so excited!

He told me he didn't want to be in the picture but he's so cute when he's painting me a present that I just sort of sneaked him in there.

Just so I don't forget, I also want some lovely stained glass stars for my kitchen window...

and I've wanted the sketchers since WAY before the Super bowel. But now I want them even more.

Awhile ago TAMN did a post on how lame it is to post about what you want on your blog. Forgive me, I have a birthday illness.

The Entryway, Again

2010-02-06T08:02:00.000-08:00

It is a fine line I walk here at Springbrook Ranch. Every time I do a little updating or decorating I have a tiny bit of "buyer's remorse" as it were. It's because we're renting...I have to find the delicate balance between making things pretty so I don't go crazy and not spending so much time and money on the place that I make Marc go crazy.

Jonathan's best friend's mom is the PTA president so guess who is making ten tutus to go in the "little princess birthday basket" to be auctioned off at our school fund raiser? Yep. So that is why I was at the fabric store on Friday. I wasn't shopping for the house, it was just providence that I found lovely upholstery fabric totally on sale.

I've already posted about my efforts to make our little entryway look not heinous. And since I can't fix the installed stuff (orange tile, mismatched stair rails, one of which is wrought iron, nasty old window molding) I have to settle for trying to disguise it.

This certainly isn't a "Country Living" approved decorating method but we make do with what we've got don't we?

So here's the newest mistreatment.

I followed the Nester, same as always, and I love the way it came out, same as always!

Where I Try to Deal With Serious Things Without Dying

2010-02-04T15:13:00.000-08:00

I have a story to tell, but I'm not sure how to tell it. Usually I keep anything too personal or messy off the blog. You know I hate gooey sticky stuff. Can't even eat tapioca. But a friend asked me share this story so here goes.

At church a month or two ago we had a special meeting in Sunday school. It was a meeting about how we should treat our gay brothers and sisters. To sum up, we were taught that we should be nice, loving, perhaps even empathetic. Our teacher, a member of our Stake Presidency, acknowledged the excruciating difficulty a person who is gay has trying to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I left the meeting feeling really happy. Sometimes I've felt conflicted between my desire to defend and preserve the sacredness of traditional marriage, and my desire to see my gay friends happy.

Of course, President Stewart couldn't answer all my questions, and I'm not going to try to answer yours. This is a great link that I have found helpful, but even it doesn't answer all my questions. Don't tell, but I believe there is yet more to be revealed on this subject. Maybe to the world, maybe just to me.

Anyway, when we got home from church I was making dinner with Maddie and Katie, my two teenage daughters, and I started telling them about what a great Sunday school lesson we'd had. We were all chop, chop, chopping and I was talk, talk, talking and I was super surprised when I looked over at Maddie and she was crying.

"Hey!" I said. "What's wrong?"

And that's when she told me how completely relieved she was to hear this message at church, albeit second hand, since I was telling her what I'd heard.

Really?

I totally thought Marc and I had been giving our kids this message their whole lives. We are all about the love here at our house, right? We've told them to love and accept their gay friends. We've loved the gay people in our lives, and, you know, been part of their lives and they're part of ours. I thought our kids were pretty clear on the main-Jesus-message "love everyone."

I thought we'd explained that loving everyone doesn't mean you have to agree with them or think that everything they do is right, but it does mean you treat everyone with respect and kindness.

But it turns out my girls weren't sure. In fact,while she was crying, Maddie told me about spending a week at church camp and making friends with a young man there who was gay. Some of the other young men in her group confronted her and asked her why she was talking to him. "Why wouldn't I?" she asked confused. "Because he's gay," they said.

Ouch.

And by then Katie was crying too because she has had all too similar experiences.

I guess I'm really telling this story because of all the messy thoughts it brought up for me, like YIKES I really don't always know what my kids are going through. And how I hope The Church as a whole helps our youth understand homosexuality better. And how grateful I am for my Savior and his love.

And now I have to stop, all this emoting is exhausting...I need a caffeinated beverage.

The Love Affair Continues

2010-02-02T08:02:00.000-08:00

I can hardly stand it. Let's sing like Maria..."Toniiiiight! Toniiiight! Season six begins tonight! Tonight we will watch Lost; I am so happyyyyyy."

She's Driving in My Car!

2010-01-31T20:58:00.000-08:00

I think the phrase "mixed feelings" must have been invented by a parent with a child on the cusp of adulthood. Here is my beautiful daughter, who as of Friday can DRIVE, and it is totally freaking me out.

But before I make this all about me let me just say to Maddy how very proud I am of her. I told you you would pass! And you are the most amazing, lovely young lady and I am so happy for you!

Okay, back to my trauma. She is DRIVING people! And studying for her college entrance exam! And talking about prom! And you know what comes after that? Turning 17 in June...and then college next year...and then getting married and leaving me forever. Argh.

No joke I keep wandering in and out of the kitchen singing "Stay With Me," from Into the Woods like a crazy mother.

But then there's the good parts...like I've already been able to send her off to pick Jonathan up from a play date. And how excited I really am for her to have a fantastic college experience. And how proud I am of her super cool Maddiness (but I kind of wish she didn't keep her room like a hamster).

...and then I fantasize, briefly, about how nice and not hamster-nest-like her room will be when she does go off to college...

Since the thing I like best is pretty much staying home in my pajamas her being able to drive really is great. So great. But sometimes, just for a minute, I feel really sad.

I love you baby girl.

Happy Birthday Dad

2010-01-30T07:19:00.001-08:00

All that talk about bacon made you want to see a picture of my Dad at his party didn't it?

Here you go!

Bye Bye Bacon

2010-01-28T20:50:00.000-08:00

Recently my Mom made bacon wrapped meatloaf for Sunday dinner. Don't turn your health-conscious-low-fat nose up; if you had walked through her door and smelled that meatloaf you would have been powerless to resist too.

My Dad was so powerless in fact that he asked for it again for his birthday. With homemade macaroni and cheese. Geez!

That bacon is STRONG I tell you what.

It tasted so yummy that when I accidentally (yes it was so an accident!) saw a recipe on allrecipes.com for bacon wrapped roast chicken I just went right ahead and made it, cholesterol be damned. And then I had broccoli bacon salad at my Dad's birthday party. Three times.

Friends, the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. I have a problem...

It's time to move away from the bacon.

Roaming Gnome

2010-01-25T21:55:00.000-08:00

Speaking of things I missed sharing that I know you want to know about...when we went trick-or-treating we saw this guy dressed as the roaming gnome. Love it!

Jackie and the Beanstalk

2010-01-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

Back in October Ellie was in the critically acclaimed elementary school production of Jackie and the Beanstalk. She was one of the singing farmers who trades magic beans to Jackie for her cow. She was so cute! They all were. It would be a crime not to share just because I am a negligent blogger and skipped the fall. Ellie is the farmer in the green plaid shirt.

Dayna-Dayna-BO-Bayna

2010-01-13T23:21:00.000-08:00

I love my friend Dayna. Partly because she is a teensy bit crazy (in a good way). At our church Halloween party she decided to tell Ellie that if you find a tootsie roll wrapper that has a picture of an Indian shooting an arrow at a star you can turn it in for a prize.

After Ellie wandered off I hissed, "What are you doing?! Now she's gonna be bugging me for a prize!"

"I know," she said nodding her head vigorously, her eyes big and round and a smile from ear to ear, "I'm gonna make her a prize!"

Dayna has four kids of her own. And her husband's the bishop. Obviously she has too much time on her hands.

"Are you on cocaine?" I asked. Dayna doesn't really sleep. She texts me at 2 in the morning.

Between Halloween and Christmas Dayna brought our family at least three different homemade treats including amazing-better-than-anything-from-a-store toffee. I won't tell you how many homemade treats I made for her family but it rhymes with "hero." And each time she showed up I would look her sternly in the eyes and tell her to go tell Ellie that THIS was her prize (I'm her friend; I was trying to help her).

But each time she'd smile and nod and do the big eye thing and tell me that no, she had something special in mind for Ellie. Specialer than homemade toffee? What could that even be?

I'll show you what.

Last night she showed up with these for Ellie. Are you jealous? I'm jealous. Let's start collecting our tootsie roll wrappers and be ready for next year!

Show Off

2010-01-10T21:34:00.001-08:00

Right then, I'm thinking it could conceivably be in bad taste to post about the things I got for Christmas, but I can't quite get mortified enough to stop myself.

Maddie gave Marc and I this beautiful glass lamp. Wowee is it fun to have a daughter who actually earns money and is willing to spend it! We don't have any overhead lighting in the dining room so this was totally needed, too.

A note about the beautiful Madonna and child painting in this picture. My Aunt Colleen bought it for me when we were in Venice (that is a good story) and it is my favorite thing in the house. It also works as a litmus test when people come over for the first time. See, if you look at it and ask me about it and mention that it's lovely then I imagine we will be kindred spirits. If, however, you look at it and then hem and haw about how it is "interesting," or worse yet, you don't notice it at all, then I am inclined to believe our hearts just don't speak the same language.

So now you know, you didn't imagine it, I AM judging you!

Another absolute gem, Ellie made us a calendar with original art work for every month of the year. This, of course, is January with snowflakes (la la ha ha no snow where we live :)

Katie actually painted this Christmas angel for us. I am so in love with it!

And finally, that same Aunt Colleen gave me this fabulous piece of barnacle shell cluster thingie. I cannot get a photo that actually does it justice. It is gorgeous!

So there! Am I the luckiest lady or what?

The Reluctant Barber

2010-01-10T20:55:00.000-08:00

Marc and I have been an item for almost twenty years; I'd say about 10 years ago he announced that he was done going to hair salons or barbers and whatnot.

"It's dumb," he said. "It takes forever and they always do something wrong anyway. I want you to cut my hair."

"Me?" I squeaked. I don't know nothin' about cutting no hair I tried to tell him. But he wasn't hearing it. I really, truly didn't want to be his barber. I was convinced I'd mess it up and he'd hate me. He's kind of sensitive about his hair...don't tell him I said that, but he is.

So I fussed for awhile but he pretty much bullied me into it and now, for ten years, I have been cutting his hair. After each cut I still feel a little nervous that he'll be unhappy, but he never has been. He always gives it a comb, smiles and tells me it looks great. Then I tell him he looks great and we smooch.

That picture up there is after his haircut yesterday. And at the end when I said, "wow, you sure look handsome with your new haircut!" he said, "'Course I do. You can do anything."

And then I had an epiphany, ten years ago when he told me I was going to be cutting his hair from now on it was because he believes in me. I am worried all the time. I'm always afraid I'll mess things up and disappoint people, especially the people I love. Isn't it crazy that it's taken me this long to actually hear my husband.

Thanks for repeating yourself all this time babe!

Thursday Drivel

2010-01-07T19:17:00.000-08:00

Oh boy there is a lot of screaming going on over here tonight! Ellie is mid tantrum and it is something to behold and behear.
I made Maddie's drivers licences appointment for the end of this month and I have been stewing about it ever since. Stewing with nerves.
Jonathan won't wear a coat, and even though we live in California it is the foggy cold San Francisco part so it makes me look like a bad mother when he has no coat plus hair that's too long and his shirt doesn't match his shorts. Come to think of it, shorts look bad too. And yes, I still care that I look like a bad mother. But not enough to actually do anything about it. Except whine.
Katie is studying very hard for Spanish. I am proud.
Ellie is still yelling.
Maddie is mad at me because I won't drive her to Chipotle before dinner. She says she needs a burrito.
I need chocolate. And quiet.
Marc isn't home yet but when he is I think we should hide under the covers and yell, "no hay blue aqui!"

One Dog For Sale

2010-01-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

I'm supposed to be at work today. And I'd like to be because I bought some dress pants at Ann Taylor over the holiday and I was looking forward to wearing them to work.

Instead though, I'm stuck at home trying to un-skunk my dog. Again.

After a vigorous wrestling match in our little bathroom wherein I tried to drench Riley with Natures Miracle Skunk Oder Remover and he tried to rub it off on me, I had the simply brilliant idea to walk him over to the grooming salon downtown and see if they wouldn't take over the problem. And they have. Glory.

So now as soon as the bathroom airs out I'll get my shower, but the dress pants will have to wait.

Hi There

2009-12-30T09:53:00.000-08:00

I haven't written for awhile and I'm not even going to apologize or try to explain why...it's just too boring. I think it will be better to just jump back in and share this photo of Ellie.

The week before Christmas I needed to be at work for a couple of days (because my dad is a slave driver) but the kids were out of school so I brought Ellie to the office with me (because he's a nice slave driver).

She was so excited to work! My mom gave her a state farm piggy bank and then we set her to shredding. She shredded steadily for almost two hours earning a whopping two dollars plus the change in my dad's pockets. She also spent some time with the extremely fascinating typewriter composing an insightful story about an annoying boy and his super smart sister.

I think that's all I have time for right now. Christmas pictures and tales will possibly follow.

Happy New Year!

List a mania?

2009-10-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

I like lists and I like checking things off my list even more. In the spirit of check, check then, here is a list of some of my current faves.

T.V. (duh):

1. Glee

2. Lie to Me

3. Castle

4. SYTYCD

5. I want my Lost back. And did you see Juliette in those V promos? I liked V when it used to be on because...lizard people right?

Cleaning Products (say what you want good cleaning products are fine):

1. Method everything but especially the laundry detergent and fabric softner.

Bites:

1. Cilantro lime shrimp from Costco

2. Cook them yourself tortillas also from Costco

3. Veggie straws

4. Asian pears

Also:

1. candles

2. clean dog

3. dinner in the crock pot

4. Jonathan snuggles

5. warm afternoons

6. a full tank of gas

A New Katherine Neville Book = Christmas

2009-10-22T19:10:00.001-07:00

I finished The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown. It didn't grab me the way The Davinci Code did, but I'm not sure if that's because it wasn't as good or just because I've read so much Dan Brown now.

What I did love was the part about the collective power of our minds to actually make things happen. I believe in this. Lots of people do right, or there wouldn't be prayer groups and the law of attraction and such?

So I looked online and there are several "pray for peace" days organized by different groups that invite anyone to join. Cool, yes?

And back to the book, if you like Dan Brown, read Katherine Neville.

OH MY GOSH, I just went to get you the link and she has a new book!!!! I have been waiting like ten years for her to write a new book! Must go to amazon now. Now, now, NOW.

Flying Feet

2009-10-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

I've just realized why the fly lady is called the fly lady. It's because moms have to FLY around the house to get all their chores done and food available and clean clothes occasionally folded.

And that is why I can't wait to get these silly stitches OUT of my foot, because my fly-abilities have been seriously curtailed. I want to fly again.

Plus they itch.

Today is the day (oh I hope I hope); wish me luck!

Tea Cup Giddy

2009-10-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

Have I told you before about how much I love dishes? Oh, a lovely dish makes my heart go pitter patter. I always buy plain white (crate and barrel) plates so that I can accessorize my table with whatever pretty serving dishes I have. But if I had money and cupboard space to spare I'd have dish sets coming out the wazoo I tell you what! The wazoo! spell check recognized "wazoo." that's funny.

So now, for your viewing and my gloating pleasure, I will share photos of the new to me dishes that my Aunt Nancy just gifted me because she moved and doesn't have space for them. Dishes, I do love you. I will marry you. We can be together forever.Mostly what she gave me are tea things that used to belong to my Grandma and Nana. I have some lovely ones already that you can see here. And a two tier cake stand! Don't hate me.These tea cups may be my new favorites because they are so over the top ladylike fancy. They remind me of Marie Antoinette. And Juicy Couture.I don't actually know what this is specifically for, but it will be adorable with a little jam at the fancy lady friends brunch that I usually have at Christmas.

Honestly, I am taking deep breaths now because the very thought of each lovely tea cup is like a hit of cocaine. I think. I mean that could be wrong because really I get sick from just percocet, but you know what I mean.

Done now, all this gleeful acquisition is exhausting.

Magic Words

2009-10-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

I have some new magic words in my life. They are, deep breath, "I can't afford it."

As much as I have avoided using, or let's face it, acting on those words in the past, I'm surprised how well they've been working for me lately.

Twice recently when I've fessed up I can't afford it as a reason why I couldn't do something the person who was asking has breathed a big sigh of relief and said something along the lines of, "Oh good. I can't either."

So I'm thinking "I can't afford it," can be like my new club. I'm going to trot it out more and see how many friends want to join.

The Dumb Doom Seed!

2009-10-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

The DOOM Seed has germinated!

Spent the morning trying to restore my iphone and banging my hairbrush on the wall (it helped me but made Riley nip Marc).

It seems better now.

He's Hungry!

2009-10-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

Lately Jonathan has taken to lurking in the kitchen, sniffing everything I'm making, and asking, make that begging for bites. He is always hungry and super interested in food.

Last week we ate at Chipotle and he had the tres tacos meal. It is not small, I'm telling you that right now. It is a solid meal. I ordered a chicken burrito and ate half and wrapped the other half up to save for Marc (poor man is at the office night and day right now).

So anyway, before we are even out of the restaurant Jonathan is eyeing my burrito like a starving child from a third world country. He asks politely if he can have it. I politely say no.

On the way home he asks for it again and I tell him I'm saving for his dad, it's his Dad's dinner for pete's sake. This goes on for the whole night. It was not pretty, I tell you what.

I mention this to illustrate the boy's love for food. He will try anything, wants to help cook, and loves all kinds of food. So when he asked me to help him start his own blog I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that he wanted to call it "Big Burger," and write about food.

Go leave him a comment, he needs to be encouraged to write!

The Time Traveler's Wife

2009-10-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

Has anyone seen The Time Traveler's Wife? I am dying to hear from someone what they thought of it. I personally can't go see it because it is one of my most beloved books and I can't stand the thought of it being made dumb and sappy like Under the Tuscan Sun.

I don't usually review books, and I don't usually recommend this one to friends because it has some seriously bad language.

The story of Claire and Henry though speaks straight to my heart. To me it's a metaphor for how love can be desperately hard and how what you love about a person can be intrinsically wrapped up in their weaknesses. It reminds me that love isn't bound by time, that it's eternal, and that it is worth the waiting and worrying and helplessness you can sometimes feel.

And that my friends is why I don't like to review books. Way too much sappy information. Sorry.

Let me make it up to you by RECOMMENDING two of my other all time favorite love stories. These are re-readers for sure.

The Samurai's Garden
Rose's Garden

And a majorly favorite love movie.

What Dreams May Come.

Envy Motivated Decorating

2009-10-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

Hi friend.
I'm linking up at Soft Place to Land for DIY Tuesday

It seems like everyone in blog land is showing off what they've done to decorate for Fall. And you know what I kept thinking? I kept thinking, "Who decorates for Fall? Christmas and Easter people. That's all I can handle."

But after awhile I, of course, got jealous and decided to see what I could do. I dragged out the Halloween crate which mostly has plastic pumpkin trick-or-treat buckets and crossed my fingers.

A little shopping the house plus a very modest trip to Pier One for some clearance fall foliage and away we go! Oh! And some dollar store crows. Love those.
This is my favorite, uh, is it stretching to call it a tablescape, because I had the clever idea to use books with spooky titles and, you know, float plastic skulls in the apothecary. Fine decorating yes indeedy! Plus the Jesus picture. I know.Here's some stuff I did in the living room, mostly moving things around and trying to accentuate the fall-ish items I already have.

I saw pillows covered in sweater fabric in Pottery Barn so I asked the girls if they had any sweaters they didn't want anymore and voila! Yes, I am so clever. Riley had eaten parts of these pillows during one of his Doggie Mr. Hyde moments so it was nice to recover them anyway.Have you seen all you want to see? There's a little more Halloween stuff in the entryway.Oh, and Muffy at the top of the stairs of course. I can't explain why I need a Muffy dressed for every holiday...it's a sickness...but I like it.

Entryway Reveal

2009-10-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

I tried every which way to get a good picture of our narrow entry way and here, finally, are the three best shots.

I don't usually hang family photos; I like them in albums, but I think that was a mistake because I love looking at these every time (all the time) I trot up and down the stairs with a basket of laundry.

I told Marc that I like it because it makes me feel like I am in the home part of the house as soon as I come in the door. That's a problem with split levels, it feels like that little landing and staircase may as well be the stairwell in an apartment building or something. But this goes a long way towards fixing it. I highly recommend it if you have a split level that you battle with like I do.

So I explained that all to Marc and he gave me the "whatever" look and said he's glad I'm happy. He'd better be too. Dinner is much more likely when I'm happy. And other things too.

Fishy Fish

2009-09-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

"Fish smells like fish." That's Jonathan's reason for why he doesn't want to eat my fabulous baked salmon.

But last night I made This baked fish with shrimp and it went over really well. At first he said he was going to just have the noodles and green beans, but after smelling the (delicious) sauce for awhile he asked for a bite and then said, "Oh! I've gotta have some of that."

Seriously, I feel like a super momma when three out of four kids eat their fish and green beans and like it. Ellie doesn't count. She is my "get out of parenting responsibilities free" child because she is so difficult that I am going strait to Heaven just because she is still alive. DON'T judge me. Or at least be gentle.

* just so you know, although the fish looks creamy, I made it with fat free milk, a serving is only 310 calories. And it was still good, it tasted like cheating.

Monday, Monday

2009-09-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

Hey! I am blogging from work. On my lunch break of course. There is really nothing to write about though, lunch by myself in the empty office is blah, blah, blah boring.

We had a good weekend though watching lots of Katie playing soccer at her tournament in San Ramon.

And eating frozen yogurt. Eating fro-yo may be the current Fosse family favorite activity. We play 20 questions while we eat. I know, we're a fascinating family.

My Good Shepherd

2009-09-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

Here is what's on my mind. You know how in John it talks about sheep and the shepherd and whatnot?

I've thought about that before and mostly concentrated on what it means to be a good sheep...hearing the Shepherds voice, following him, etc.

But yesterday when I was reading it again I had a lovely safe feeling come over me when I realized that the sheep do not fight the wolf. The Shepherd fights the wolf.

Exhale. It will all be okay. I certainly do not have to do everything.

Fall Decorating

2009-09-22T20:58:00.000-07:00

Marc ended up working on Saturday so we didn't paint the family room. Sigh. So I decided to entertain myself by fancy-ing up the entryway.
I saw this picture on this website (a new love) and thought family pictures going up the stair well would be a pretty idea. I found frames on sale at Target and got to work scanning pictures.

Due to my technical difficulty (missing brain parts) it took me a really long time to scan and print. Marc finally had to save me. But the pictures look GREAT!

As soon as I hang them I'll share pictures. I will hang them as soon as I decide if I want to keep them with pictures I have already so laboriously scanned and printed or if I want to scan and print a whole NEW set of old Halloween photos to display next month.

Isn't that a cute idea! A cute, stupid, will drive me crazy if I do it and will drive me crazy if I don't, idea? This is one of my favorites.
Then, all I will need is an area rug and some fall like table stuff to finish up the teeny space. I'm not sure if the fall stuff should be attractive fall foliage, or plastic eyeballs floating in an apothacary. What do you think?

All By Myseeeeelf

2009-09-19T23:06:00.000-07:00

Why, hello me!

Okay, someone else set up my blog follower page on facebook, but it linked to my old wordpress blog. I just noticed it today (so not fb savvy) so I tried to put it on this blog, where I actually post and I lost all eight followers.

It made me laugh to see this box with me as my only follower, because isn't blogging such a narcissistic activity anyway? But I love it.

Dinner for Six

2009-09-14T22:22:00.000-07:00

I've started working for my dad fifteen hours a week. Fifteen teensy little hours. I'm 100% positive that I normally waste fifteen hours each week walking in and out of the laundry room and wondering what I'm doing.

So I can't figure out why becoming a "working mom" is kicking me so hard.

Actually, I can. It's because school and after school sports started up at pretty much the same time as my job. So even though I normally love this time of year, I'm kind of doing the headless chicken thing right now.

And I certainly am not making any dinners.

But tomorrow that changes! I am armed with a grocery list and menu plan for three low fat crock pot meals to make this week. Yes I know there are seven dinners in a week. I'm trying not to bite off more than I can chew (chew! ha!). If they work out, and by "work out" I mean at least four out of the six people who live here like them, then I will share.

If you know of any easy low fat/low calorie family type meals will you share? Please?

Table Manners for the Lovely Children

2009-09-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

I have another brief yet valuable piece of advice for all those darling little children out there.

Whatever "eating plan" your mother is on, you must refrain from asking her that most heinous of all questions, "Are you allowed to eat that?"

Because dear children, your mother is an all grown up adult (with the stretch marks to prove it) and so she alone is in charge of what goes into her mouth. Thus it follows that whatever she is eating, she is indeed allowed to eat.

Now go forth and NEVER ask that question again. It is not helpful.

Teenager 101

2009-09-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

I will now gift you with an educational quiz on how to ask your parents for things.

1. You want new flip flops. You...

A. flop in the car after school and announce, "you have to get me new flip flops today."

B. explain to your mother that your flip flops broke at school today and say, "do you think I can get some new ones soon?"

Just sayin'

Running

2009-09-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

On Friday Marc and I went for a run and had a new high of going 1 and 3/4 miles without a break. This week we should hit two miles. We are slow, and I think look really silly, but I am proud of us. My personal running trick is to look up at the mountains and sing "How Firm a Foundation" in my head, it keeps me going.

We also monitor the tall fast couple who run on the track at the same time we do each morning with a solid goal of increasing the time it takes them to lap us each day. Don't judge.

Speaking of judging, I have always thought that you couldn't claim to be a runner unless you actually run. Like when people all bright and breezily claim things like, "I ran five hundred miles this morning,"...I thought that meant they ran five hundred miles. Without stopping.

But apparently in run language you can say you ran, even if you spent some of that time walking. It's okay apparently. I've always been very careful to qualify my running statements by saying things like, "I ran this morning but I was being passed by snails," just because I don't want anyone to think I'm claiming to be an actual runner. They might see me sometime and laugh. But what you can count on is that if I say I ran, I did not walk. So. That's how I feel about it.

Easy Peasy Birthday Banner

2009-09-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

Friday with Marc out of town + four diet cokes + upcoming birthday party = uncontrollable need to make a birthday banner at nine o'clock at night!

And the bonus is I have something for DIY Thursday!

So instead of doing any chore type items which I hate anyway, I decided I could make a Mary Engelbreit-ish birthday banner out of leftover fabric scraps and, I'll be honest, fabric I'd purchased for projects that I never got to.It was a great idea! Totally fun, fast, and rewarding. I imagined that I invented this from my own pretty little head, but when I googled "fabric birthday banner" It turns out I had not. There are LOTS of ideas out there.

My idea was to sew a little, use wonder under a lot, and hot glue everything else. Worked like a charm. Check it out.

I stole some wonder under from Dayna (thanks!) and just free hand drew the letters on the paper part. Remember to reverse them.I layered the batting between the front and back pieces, pinned them together, cut an edge with pinking shears, and sewed around the edge. Nothing is particularly straight or perfect but I was more interested in fast than perfect for this project.

The last step was to lay all the pieces out on my kitchen table and glue them to this piece of ric rac (is that what it's called?) and to glue on bits of pom pom trim and a few buttons. TA-DA! I am thoroughly impressed.

What a Difference a Year Makes!

2009-08-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first day of school. At some point, after dropping everyone off, I let out this long sigh of relief and let my mind drift back to last year and how truly awful it was.

I remembered how guilty I felt about our move and how scared I was that my tiny shiny children would suffer for even a minute. The thought of them feeling scared and lonely was unbearable.

But now here we are. And everyone went off to their classes excited, nervous, and happy. Just like it should be! Katie is a freshman in high school! How did that happen?
Maddie is a JUNIOR! Stop the clock.I can still pretend Jonathan and Ellie are little so I'm going with that. Notice not how big they really are.
Perhaps the sweetest moment of yesterday came in two parts. As I was driving Maddie to golf (yes, she is playing varsity golf) she started telling me about how at lunch she saw a girl eating by herself so she and a friend went over to talk to her and invite her to eat with them. They found out that she was new and had moved here from Washington. Then Maddie told me how she wished someone had done that for her on her first day last year, and how she thinks that people who haven't ever moved don't even really notice someone who is alone but that because she has been through it, "my heart goes, 'ohhhh,' when I see someone like that. I know now that no one really wants to eat by themselves."

My own heart went "ohhhh" when she told me this. I am so happy that my beautiful girl has found a way to take something good and valuable away from a difficult experience!
I sometimes call Maddie and Ellie my "bookends" because they look so much and act so much alike, so what happened next shouldn't surprise me. As I was tucking Ellie into bed last night I asked if she liked who she was sitting next to in school. She said that she did because she is sitting next to the new girl and she is happy to be her first friend because she knows how it feels to be scared on the first day at a new school.

I have a very full, very happy mommy heart right now.

Three Books, From Me to You

2009-08-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

I don't really do reviews, it takes too much serious thought to figure out what I really like about a book, and then if I do, it ends up being too personal to share anyway.

But I am going to tell you three good books right now. I'm not going to review them; I'm just going to recommend them. Don't be mad, it's just how I am. Lazy.

The first is The Magician's Assistant, by Ann Patchett. Do you already love Ann Patchett? Here is a sentence out of this book, "While Iowa struggled through the bitter knife of winter and New York folded in crime and the South remained backwards and divided, Los Angeles pushed her slender feet into the sand along the Pacific and took in the sun." Boy do I like that sentence.

Okay, next is Malinche, by Laura Esquivel, the author of Like Water for Chocolate. I'm reading Malinche right now and I promise it is fascinating. Malinche was Cortes' native interpreter and lover.

My last recomendation is There, Their, They're: A No-Tears Guide to Grammar From the Word Nerd. This is super handy for answering your quick grammar questions when you're writing your blog and WAY shorter and more user friendly than, say, The AP Stylebook. My sweet mother-in-law has been recovering from a surgery and I learned that all this time I've been talking about her being "nauseous", totally insulting, she's "nauseated!" So helpful.

Paying for it

2009-08-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

The problem with spending my day on this DIY project:is that I don't get to this do it myself project. How did the shoemaker get those elves anyway? I mean, I'm nice. I'll make some little clothes or something. They just won't get washed.

I Did it Myself Porch Makeover and Wreath Renovation

2009-08-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

I am so loving "Do it yourself day" at A Soft Place to Land. It is like getting that extra motivation to pretty up the house that you get from having company coming, except you don't have to clean the bathrooms. After you read about my front porch makeover and wreath renovation you can clicky click on the button up there and see what everyone else is up to. There is good stuff I tell you!

Before I start, I have to share this reoccurring dream I have. I already typed it up once, and then accidentally deleted it. That must be nature's way of telling me to "omit needless words."

So. The dream. In it I am walking through this fabulous house slowly realizing that it is mine. As I open doors I discover it is full of things that I love-stuff from my past, things I own now, furniture I've seen in magazines, and fabulous stuff my head made up just for me. It is beautiful.

When I wake up I always feel happy knowing that whatever I really need, it will come to me. I've been blessed with a beautiful life and this dream always makes me remember that God will provide. It's a good dream. I like it.

So when I decided to redo my front porch starting with the sad little wreath I had up there, it gave me a happy feeling to find I could do it all with stuff I had stuffed around the house. I began with the wreath because I wanted it to be my inspiration piece. Here is the sort of scrappy little guy I had up there to begin with.The first step in wreath renovation was to head over to the Nester and search her archives for "wreath." I did like she said (I always do like she says) and rounded up everything I could find that might look good in a wreath including every other wreath I own.The best idea I got from the Nester was to use an old Christmas wreath for my base. I cut out the red berries and then started sticking in stuff. These white roses seemed like they were going to look good, but on second thought, didn't.I love lovity love love the nest and birdie. The feathers and flowers I just stuck in, but I hot glued the pears and wired in the nest.Here is my porch-a-rama before I even moved a skate board. That is the new wreath though, I got so excited that I nailed it up there before I remembered to take the "before picture."The plant stand and pot I totally found by the side of the road when I was garage saleing one Saturday. The pot didn't look right when it was terracotta but I remembered some yellow spray paint I have, and now...it's like a symphony in green and yellow is it not?Here is the big splurge. You know Smith and Hawken is going out of business? Sad, but Marc scored me this mat for $25. Since everything else was free to me, I feel good about it. The final touches are the "Families are Forever" whatever that is and my little bunny.It looks so much more welcoming doesn't it? If you come over we can sit on the bench and watch the kids play while we enjoy these last few days of summer.

Saturday at the Oakland Zoo

2009-08-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

So the answer to who won the Fosse weight loss challenge is...we tied. Total win win, eh? I seriously don't even mind golfing if it means I get beautiful blue gray paint all over the place!

I'm feeling kind of sick today and it makes my head not work right so I will leave off with the talking and just share some pictures from the Oakland Zoo on Saturday. Perhaps the best moment was when I said about the baboons, "It's so weird that they don't have hair on their bums." and Kate replied, "Neither do you, don't judge."

My first diet coke in two weeks! Oh, I am so happy. Plus you can see the beautiful charm bracelet Marc gave me for my birthday. Sweet man.

This picture makes me want to play Zoo Tycoon.

When we first got on the sky lift Ellie was nervous and hanging on to me, about 1/3 of the way across she got her "air legs" and was trying to lean over the bar and squirm around to see stuff. As I held her in my white knuckle grip she complained, "Mom! Let go, I'm not a baby anymore you DON'T need to hold me. Hey! Are you scared?"

I know you all have been to the zoo before and don't need to see my 50 pictures but I need to include some because I do love the animals.

They are turtle enough for the Turtle Club!

I'm a Gambling Girl

2009-08-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

Marc and I have had a bet. A little wager as it were.

I bet that I could loose the most weight in 9 days, and if I did he would have to paint the entryway, our bedroom, AND the family room (yeah, I already painted it, but I don't like the yellow).

He bet that he could loose the most weight, and if he did I would have to take two golf lessons and golf nine holes with him. Don't imagine he is nicer than me; I feel the same way about golf as he feels about painting.

So this morning was our weigh in. Who do you think won?

The Scout Camp Coma

2009-08-17T06:16:00.000-07:00

So. Cub Scout camp was last week.

I saw a request on the Redbook website for people to submit blog posts about their heroes. Right now my vote for most heroic women goes to the beautiful ladies who volunteered their time to organize our Scout camp at Saint Mary's college. And then stayed ALL week. Five days, no joke, with 115 boys in 90 degree weather.

I volunteered for three days and by the third day I was all mumbling and grumbling at Marc about how tired I was. Because I'm wimpy like that; now you know something bad about me.

But onward and upward! Remarkably, Scout Camp was not exhausting to Jonathan. He had a fully energizing time, coming home each day excited about all he had done-and ready to play with his buddy Kiran who lives next door.

Here he is doing the things boys like:

Target Whups CVS

2009-08-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

Last year I waited until too late to buy school supplies and when I finally went to get them the pickings were very slim. It's always hard to screw up my nerve and head to Target, four supply lists in hand, four needy, squirmy, demanding children in tow. Oh how I hate it.

It's specialized mommy torture. This child needs 24 fine tip bright markers, and this one needs 16 wide tip classic color markers and this mommy is going to need a drink. Soon. An extra large diet coke, of course. Hate. It.

Anyway, although I have put it off until almost the last minute, this year went pretty well. Jonathan didn't even want to go with me, and the three girls were very well behaved. They have matured beyond crying in the aisle because I'm not buying the fancy $4 pen with the large pink plume.

I'd noticed that CVS had a pretty big school supply section so I thought we'd go there and hopefully save some cash because we wouldn't be tempted by all the, uh, temptations at Target. But it was not to be. After checking and collating our lists we realized we were going to have to go to Target for a few items that we couldn't find.

And you know what? Target had WAY better prices than CVS. I don't want to hurt CVS's feelings, but when we saw how much cheaper the stuff at Target was, we re-bought all our folders and book covers and then returned the stuff we had got at CVS. You want to know the total price difference? I know you do. Twenty six dollars! Can you believe that. Six binder/folder things and a slew of those stretchy book covers cost $26 more at CVS than at Target. Unbelievable.

I also want a gold star for not being too lazy to take the stuff back, because it did cross my mind you know.

Pinkies Up, Excuse Moi!

2009-08-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

Post Edit-I'm linking up at The Inspired Room

Ellie got a book last week. It's called "Fancy Nancy Tea Parties." Oo La La, did this book ever get us thinking. As we snuggled in her bed Thursday night we planned an exquisite tea party for her friends (real and stuffed).

We carefully planned the menu: cheese and ham crackers (like a fancy lunchable), cookies, apples, ice cream sundaes, and pink lemonade "tea." Delightful!

We shopped on Friday, set the table Saturday morning, and were ready for our guests at 11 am. The girls were so adorably excited. They seemed as pleased with the sweets as they were with me as the "servant." It was my job to wear my uniform, a purple boa and grass hoola skirt, while I served them tea and spoke in my most upper crust snotty voice.I have to say, this was very fun. Generally I don't play, per say, with my kids. I read, snuggle, do puzzles, cook with, tickle, teach, chase, and whatnot, but I'm not so much for the imagination games. That's what they have siblings for by golly.

But planning this out and then actually doing it made Ellie so happy, it was totally worth it. And yes, we did use my fancy tea cups and stuff, it made her day...and mine.

My Craig's List Love Affair

2009-08-09T22:20:00.000-07:00

We've sold, we've bought...Craig's List, I love you.Finding the perfect dresser for $40 makes it even perfecter!

A Moderate Makeover

2009-08-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

* POST EDIT: I forgot to put on here that I was inspired to finish this bad boy up by Kimba at A Soft Place to Land. It's a cool blog and today there are a billion other great DIY ideas linked up there. Don't do the dishes, check it out!

Katie and Maddie's bathroom was in desperate, desperate I say, need of a makeover. Megan came to help paint.
You might want to cover your eyes and peek through your fingers when you look at the before pictures of our downstairs bathroom.

In one of her books Francis Mayes refers to her little bathroom as "il bruto," or "the ugly." I think ours qualifies for the title too.Obviously something needed to be done about the floor. I can hardly believe I'm showing off those mold stains. The important thing to know here is that we didn't make those; it was like that when we got here. Which may make you wonder how we ever got here...all I can say is, Springbrook Ranch does have other redeeming qualities.

Anyway, I knew this needed to be a bargain basement makeover and stay under $100. Here's how I spent my wad:$5 for oops paint at Home Depot. The girls picked the color, it's a pretty bright for me but I totally don't care. Do you know what oops paint is? It's the paint that was mixed wrong for the original customer's order and is now for sale for CHEAP. I love the whole principle.

$60 for peel and stick linoleum tiles. These are so cool; I cut them to size with my kitchen scissors and then they stick down like, well, stickers. It's like scrapbooking for your floor.

$3 for the white picture frames. I got those at a yard sale last Saturday and cut some more pictures out of my "Pressed Plant" book to go into them.The window mistreatment was free. I was digging through my fabric looking for something to stick up there with upholstery tacks and found the old window thingie I had in Ellie's nursery seven years ago. It's not perfect, but free trumps perfect right now.The last thing the room needs is a small dresser for the girls to keep towels and stuff like tp in. I've been cruising Craig's list for a freebie. We'll see what happens.

Growing Pains

2009-08-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

I wish I could just swallow and digest the principle of growth through suffering. Then instead of freezing up or worrying or feeling unhappy, unloved, and confused I could just throw my head back and tell the universe, "bring. it. on."

If you're not sure what the heck I'm talking about, neither am I. But here is a sum up as I have been experiencing it.

God needs his children (you and me baby) to be something we might not exactly be naturally. In my case the list includes humble, patient, loving, tender, forgiving, understanding, helpful, brave, faithful, and diligent. To name a few.

And it turns out there is only one way to get us there. We need to face a heaping plateful of pain. Because when we are faced with something that tears us up, scares the beejeebers out of us, and seems insurmountable on our own we (hopefully) start listening to God. We recognize that any peace or success we have is going to come from him.

So here is my promise to myself today: when something happens that I can't stand, instead of reacting with anger or fear or hurt, I am just going to let it sit awhile. I'm going to say to myself, "this is okay, just a little piece of pain pie to shine me up a bit, and with God's help I can totally handle it."

Enough Dwadling

2009-08-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

Something tells me I am not entirely good at follow thru.

My garden is growing...weeds. Tomatos and squash too.

The downstairs bathroom is 90% done, but I got derailed when a potential buyer came to see the house. I decided to cease improvements and leave the trim unpainted and the floor unfinished. I don't want anyone else to like the house (was that wrong?).

Ellie and I haven't done our reading homework in 4 days.

I'm not even talking about Scouts.

Fat flush has flushed some pounds but I stepped delicately off that train for an entire weekend of banana bread, corn chowder, blt on white bread, blueberry muffin, pizza, and an entire plate of antipasta at the Trucker Huss poker tourniment.

And I love diet coke. Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope.

Sunday's Lessons

2009-07-28T22:10:00.001-07:00

I am thankful for plums

When I go to church, a lot of times I hear things that I already know, but for some reason a certain principle or lesson will really stick out and feel new and important.

Last Sunday that happened, and I've been thinking about it all week. I've wanted to share my insights, but I'm strangely weirded out about sharing spiritual things on my blog. I just hate to be sappy. But I keep feeling like it's a-time to write it down so here goes.

There is a story about one of the Mormon pioneers who traveled across the country to Utah with the Martin Harris Handcart company. This particular group left late in the season and got stuck in the ice and snow and many of the members of the company died. Years later a group of Mormons were discussing the poor judgement of church leaders in letting the group leave so late in the year.

At some point an old man spoke up and said he had been an actual member of the very company they were criticizing. He said a lot of stuff (I'm not getting into it because I don't want to cry) but ended by saying that the sacrifices and hardships he suffered on that trek were the price he paid to know Jesus Christ and it was worth it.

Then in Sunday school our lovely teacher, Vicki, pointed out a pattern of sacrifice that goes like this: sacrifice leads to faith, faith leads to a testimony of Christ, that testimony gives us the power to endure all things, and enduring until the end brings us eternal life.

Does that make a light bulb go off in anyone else's head? Although I could have explained all of this before Sunday, on this Sunday it felt different. I feel like any hardship or sacrifice I have been through, is infinitely worth it, if it brings me closer to my Savior. My trials are tiny, but I am grateful for any sorrow that has brought me to my knees and made me recognize God's hand in my life.

And that's all I'm saying because I can tell I am on the very verge of sapaliciousness but I did want to thank Dayna and Vicki for their insights. They are good, righteous women and I am so happy to know them.

2009-07-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

The laziness is OVER. After two days of work my house is top to bottom clean, which almost never happens-the girls' rooms, bathrooms, behind the couch, CLEAN! Totally clean. I mean, if you don't look in my desk drawers or linen closets, which you totally won't because I'm not even letting you in there, CLEAN.

So come on over and walk around, enjoy the calm. It should last, oh, maybe overnight and until I'd say, 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Look, Riley is enjoying it.

Slothful Summer

2009-07-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

We saw these guys in Santa Barbara; they are my inspiration.

My slothful week continues fairly successfully. Exhibit Tuesday:

Woke up, put on sweats and went to track, got out of car, decided it was too cold to walk/run, returned home and went back to bed.

Got up to take Marc to Bart (like the Metro), returned home and went back to bed.

Somewhere in there Ellie got in bed with me so when I woke up the third time we were able to enjoy her hooked on phonics lesson in, you guessed it, bed.

Finally got up in time to drive into Berkeley and be taken out to lunch by the parents. Thanks guys!

Drove home to pick up the kids' swim suits and then scooted over to Dana's to watch the kids swim while we lounged and chatted. Okay, I lounged...Dana managed to throw Cabbo (her doggie) in the pool, find goggles, make cookies, and give a visiting teaching lesson while I sat there.

For dinner I am exerting all my strength and warming up pizza. Marc will be pleasantly surprised since last night I said I couldn't make dinner and had to be taken out. Progress!

In a minute I'll have to take Jonathan to Lacrosse but my plan is to wait in the car with my (embarrassingly juvenile) book, "Dragon Champion."

At various times today I have considered and rejected as too taxing: laundry, grocery shopping, making my bed, vacuuming, washing the dog, and organizing my desk. Perhaps tomorrow? Perhaps.

Random Monday Thoughts

2009-07-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know, you're wondering if I ever have any thoughts that aren't random. Just because I can't think about one thing for more than five minutes doesn't mean I don't do anything deliberate. I do. I plan (sort of), I just...forget...the plan...later.

Anyway, just 5 thoughts, that's all I'm talking about.

1. Just dropped Maddie and Katie off for girls' camp. I really hope they have fun.

2. I saw a large lady at the beach in Santa Barbara wearing a skirt with a petticoat, a leather vest, and a cowboy hat with a coon's tail hanging from the back. She was walking two Irish Wolfhounds. Wow, I have been dying to get that off my chest! I think she was Hagrid's sister.

3. I also saw a man on the sidewalk wearing skin tight gold pants, his hair was a white blond mullet and he was singing. Not making this up.

4. Am loving the "Hooked on Phonics" reading program for Ellie. Thanks Aunt Ree.

5. Lastly, how does anyone get anything done in the summer? I feel SO lazy. I'm thinking of renting "24" from blockbuster.

6. Well I have to add one more because now that I told you about gold pants man and coon tail lady I have to tell you about the group of 5 black surfer girls all suited up in wetsuits and talking smack that I passed at the beach in L.A. That was funny.

My Little Surfer Dudes

2009-07-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

Maddie, Katie and Jonathan surfing in Santa Barbara.

Coldplay!

2009-07-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

Honest to goodness my concert going experiences have been very limited and fairly nerdy (Crystal Gail, The Righteous Brothers, Clay Aiken) but last night may have made up for all that!

I am still high today from seeing Coldplay last night! It was such a great concert and I would like to nominate Marc for Father of the Year for having the downright brilliant idea to take Maddie and her friends as her 16th birthday present! Who would have thought we could enjoy her gift so much?

Okay, here are the pictures. We were on the lawn but the band actually came out onto a small stage built on the lawn and played a few songs resulting in some rockin' close ups. Did I say this was a great concert? Alright, I'm still breathing.
All the girls while the sun was still up.

Singing along was SUPER fun.

There was a moment when the band was playing, the paper butterflies were swirling around us, and Marc's arms were wrapped around me so tightly. As I leaned back into him and tried to take it all in...the music, the stars, how much I love him, how proud I am of our daughter...I felt so blessed and lucky. And as Katie said, "this band is so cool!"

Paying for Vacation

2009-07-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

We got home yesterday from our wonderful vacation and today it is time to pay for it.

Right before we left we had the incident with the skunk, then my washer flooded the laundry room twice, so I pretty much wiped up all the water with dirty towels and then fled for Santa Barbara.

It was beautiful, the ocean, the flowers... I didn't spend a second thinking about what might be percolating in my laundry room. However, this morning as I unpack and shake sand out of all and sundry I am faced with the fact that damp skunk towels do not just go away (If I only had one wish...).

Still, I am ah, "excited" isn't really the right word, let's go with motivated. Yes, I am motivated to clean out the laundry room and see if I can see the floor once more. Maybe I'll even work my way down the hall and tackle the (also damp) pile of clothes my daughters discarded into the furnace room.

Aaaaand we're back!

Good Children. Delicious!

2009-07-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

You want to know what I love?
The smell of my children after they have been basted with sunscreen, marinated in the ocean, and spent the day toasting in the sun!
Delicious to my taste!

A Birthday Princess

2009-07-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I can't believe I haven't posted pictures from Ellie's birthday! Someone slap my hand.

4th of July in Santa Barbara

2009-07-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! We are in Santa Barbara for a fine week of family vacation and I am ready to post pictures for your viewing enjoyment. I just feel bad about all of the important events I haven't posted about lately, so before I go on I will upload one picture from each event and then (hopefully) do each one justice with its' own post when I get home.

1. Jonathan puts his poker face to work at the 4th grade "Gold Rush Day."2. Katie is lovely at her 8th grade graduation.3. Maddie opening her new MacBook for her 16th birthday.4. Grandma Diana visits from San Diego.5. Gotta share how lovely the fruits growing in the front mini-orchard are. We have plums, apricots and apple.

And finally, here are some of our 216 Fourth of July photos. Thank goodness I finally learned how to make a collage. We are staying at a great beach house with our new(ish) friends, the Vanhoven family.

We went to watch the fireworks show down by the beach and Marc got us the PERFECT table to eat dinner and take in the show. It was so good!

You can clickity click on this collage to get a better look at the photos.