first, details: kids are both spending the night out. it's new year's eve. we are driving home with our three bags of whataburger to watch "the bucket list." hubby has chills and is hacking up small cars. yeah, don't be jealous. we live our lives hard and fast, but that's just how we roll.
me: hey, on the way home do you want to drive by (unnamed friend's house) to see if they're having a new year's eve party again but just didn't invite us this year?
hubby: yeah. sure. whatever. (coughs up a corolla.)
me: i couldn't get off facebook last night.
hubby: i freakin hate facebook. i'm deleting myself out of it tonight.
me: yeah, it's so stupid. last night i couldn't stop looking up people i went to high school with. i didn't even like them then, why do i care now. and by the way, i think it's impossible to delete yourself out.
hubby: well i'm getting out even if i have to call them up.
me: it's so juvenile. doesn't it seem so high schoolish? like driving by someone's house to see if their bedroom light is on?
hubby: or driving by to see if someone is having a party we weren't invited to?
oh. well, now that you put it like that.
and for the record, there was no party. unless everyone walked there and was hiding inside from us. so she can continue to be my friend.
happy freakin' new year.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
best final quote of 2008
(warning: mom...and others...salty language to follow.) (leave now or forever hold your peace.)
and the award goes to......brother and sister duo scott and courtenay h. (yes, she spells her name just like me.)
courtenay h: COURTENAY DOESN'T WANT THE DOOR TO HIT 2008 IN THE ASS ON THE WAY OUT...OR DOES SHE???
scott h: I'M TAKING THE DOOR OFF ITS HINGES AND SHOVING IT UP THE ASS OF 2008.
yes, i would say that just about sums up my feelings, and the ones of those all around me, as we kick the year 2008 out on its lousy ass.
and the award goes to......brother and sister duo scott and courtenay h. (yes, she spells her name just like me.)
courtenay h: COURTENAY DOESN'T WANT THE DOOR TO HIT 2008 IN THE ASS ON THE WAY OUT...OR DOES SHE???
scott h: I'M TAKING THE DOOR OFF ITS HINGES AND SHOVING IT UP THE ASS OF 2008.
yes, i would say that just about sums up my feelings, and the ones of those all around me, as we kick the year 2008 out on its lousy ass.
over the river and through the traps...
these are the players at the putt-putt golf course. we've got a small, a medium, and a large.
this one likes to whack the ball, and see how many times it can disappear into shrubs, the waterfall, or someone's private parts.
this one pays attention to things like par, bogey, and other players. he is the only player who didn't lose his ball. we like him.
this kid (my nephew) has the most patience of anyone. he's a good sport, in life and in games. he volunteered to go last, knowing he'd get left in the dust.
this is the driver lady. she's nice.....sometimes. if all the planets are in alignment.
this is what we do when we have to wait for the next course. throw balls backwards through the tubes. it's all fun and games until someone gets hit in the face.
do you see that water? it kept stealing our fun.
yep. there goes another one. we depleted a large supply of the fun center's golf balls.
if all else fails, cheat.
and cheat again. and again. and again. the slate is about to be wiped clean....it's new year's eve!
this one likes to whack the ball, and see how many times it can disappear into shrubs, the waterfall, or someone's private parts.
this one pays attention to things like par, bogey, and other players. he is the only player who didn't lose his ball. we like him.
this kid (my nephew) has the most patience of anyone. he's a good sport, in life and in games. he volunteered to go last, knowing he'd get left in the dust.
this is the driver lady. she's nice.....sometimes. if all the planets are in alignment.
this is what we do when we have to wait for the next course. throw balls backwards through the tubes. it's all fun and games until someone gets hit in the face.
do you see that water? it kept stealing our fun.
yep. there goes another one. we depleted a large supply of the fun center's golf balls.
if all else fails, cheat.
and cheat again. and again. and again. the slate is about to be wiped clean....it's new year's eve!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
how many friends does one person really need?
i think about questions like this a lot, like when i'm in the shower or walking the dog, or vacuuming the house. it is how i entertain myself.
and i've always been happy, quite content, with a very small number. because the more you have, the more stuff you have to do to keep those friendships alive -- you must talk on the phone, get together with these people, be social. and i like to stay home. i like to be alone....although that is relative now that i have two kids, a husband, and a high maintenance dog. (which might beg the question: do i really have time for friends?)
and i've thought this question to death in the last few days, ever since a family friend very suddenly passed away. she wasn't old. she was the mom of a 10-year-old boy. and as she lay in the hospital for the last two weeks of her life -- a time when you'd think family and friends would gather round -- she had only her husband and one friend by her side. she didn't have much family. the dad lived far away and couldn't travel. and she had not cultivated friendships too very much, one might say. she had one, maybe two good friends at most.
and that is how it ended for her. alone, more or less, in a hospital bed.
it has made me think of who would be there for me. what kind of friends have i made? do i have friends that would show up? would i want the people i know now there?
and i remember, way, way back to a night in college. i had a big circle of friends, but of that big circle two stood out above all the rest. i loved them all, but i loved these two the most. and on this particular night -- a 4th of july with a bunch of us together -- one of those two people said, these are the friends i want to have the rest of my life. if i never make another friend, i can die happy. and i felt it too, and knew he meant it. i finally had found my place in the world.
but then, years pass. people move. lives change, and people grow apart. it's the thing i hate most about change. starting over, constantly starting over. i clung to those relationships as hard as i could. some of them made it, and some of them -- well, i have no idea where those people are anymore.
but slowly, very slowly, i have made new friends. three, to be exact. in the course of, oh, say ten years. i work slow. i don't like anybody new at first. which begs another college story.
moons ago, in my big circle of college friends, one of them had a new girlfriend. and i kept hearing how cool she was, how nice, how funny, how pretty. so right off, i didn't like her. i hadn't met her but i was already majorly annoyed by this newcomer's existence. she was going to change the dynamic. we didn't need another girl. we didn't need anyone, the circle was complete. and surely, coming in so overrated as she obviously was, she would be a major disappointment. i didn't meet her for a long time. she was scared to meet me. she had been told that i wouldn't like her.
and then i finally met her, one night at a bonfire. she was funny. and all those other things people said about her. and despite my wanting not to like her, i did. and we ended up living together years later, and today, 21 years postmortem, we still keep in touch. so, you know, it wasn't so painful to make room for one more person. but still. she did always steal my clothes when we lived together.
but anyway, making new friends is not easy. at least not for me. but the older i've gotten, the more i find that i need them. like when i need to talk. or vent. or something good happens. or, of course, when life takes a bad turn.
and now, as back then, the easiest way to meet people is through school. why is that? only now it is my children's school, and it is the mothers of their friends. i know a lot of people, but again, it all comes back to my three that shine above all the rest. and i don't want to die alone, or go through this life alone, with only my children and husband. because children grow up and leave, if you do your job right. and husbands don't always offer the same support that a girlfriend could.
so how many is enough? one can be enough. ten is definitely too many. and i would value quality above quantity any day. everybody is different, but to me right now in my life, i feel very very rich to have three.
and i've always been happy, quite content, with a very small number. because the more you have, the more stuff you have to do to keep those friendships alive -- you must talk on the phone, get together with these people, be social. and i like to stay home. i like to be alone....although that is relative now that i have two kids, a husband, and a high maintenance dog. (which might beg the question: do i really have time for friends?)
and i've thought this question to death in the last few days, ever since a family friend very suddenly passed away. she wasn't old. she was the mom of a 10-year-old boy. and as she lay in the hospital for the last two weeks of her life -- a time when you'd think family and friends would gather round -- she had only her husband and one friend by her side. she didn't have much family. the dad lived far away and couldn't travel. and she had not cultivated friendships too very much, one might say. she had one, maybe two good friends at most.
and that is how it ended for her. alone, more or less, in a hospital bed.
it has made me think of who would be there for me. what kind of friends have i made? do i have friends that would show up? would i want the people i know now there?
and i remember, way, way back to a night in college. i had a big circle of friends, but of that big circle two stood out above all the rest. i loved them all, but i loved these two the most. and on this particular night -- a 4th of july with a bunch of us together -- one of those two people said, these are the friends i want to have the rest of my life. if i never make another friend, i can die happy. and i felt it too, and knew he meant it. i finally had found my place in the world.
but then, years pass. people move. lives change, and people grow apart. it's the thing i hate most about change. starting over, constantly starting over. i clung to those relationships as hard as i could. some of them made it, and some of them -- well, i have no idea where those people are anymore.
but slowly, very slowly, i have made new friends. three, to be exact. in the course of, oh, say ten years. i work slow. i don't like anybody new at first. which begs another college story.
moons ago, in my big circle of college friends, one of them had a new girlfriend. and i kept hearing how cool she was, how nice, how funny, how pretty. so right off, i didn't like her. i hadn't met her but i was already majorly annoyed by this newcomer's existence. she was going to change the dynamic. we didn't need another girl. we didn't need anyone, the circle was complete. and surely, coming in so overrated as she obviously was, she would be a major disappointment. i didn't meet her for a long time. she was scared to meet me. she had been told that i wouldn't like her.
and then i finally met her, one night at a bonfire. she was funny. and all those other things people said about her. and despite my wanting not to like her, i did. and we ended up living together years later, and today, 21 years postmortem, we still keep in touch. so, you know, it wasn't so painful to make room for one more person. but still. she did always steal my clothes when we lived together.
but anyway, making new friends is not easy. at least not for me. but the older i've gotten, the more i find that i need them. like when i need to talk. or vent. or something good happens. or, of course, when life takes a bad turn.
and now, as back then, the easiest way to meet people is through school. why is that? only now it is my children's school, and it is the mothers of their friends. i know a lot of people, but again, it all comes back to my three that shine above all the rest. and i don't want to die alone, or go through this life alone, with only my children and husband. because children grow up and leave, if you do your job right. and husbands don't always offer the same support that a girlfriend could.
so how many is enough? one can be enough. ten is definitely too many. and i would value quality above quantity any day. everybody is different, but to me right now in my life, i feel very very rich to have three.
Monday, December 29, 2008
keep on the sunny side
this dog.....is baking in this square of sunshine.
it is chilly outside. she is in the coldest room in the house, but her fur feels like it was just released from a curling iron.
when the sun moves, so does she. she is in a slightly different spot every few minutes. that's a lot of work for a little tan.
it's not easy being a dog.
it is chilly outside. she is in the coldest room in the house, but her fur feels like it was just released from a curling iron.
when the sun moves, so does she. she is in a slightly different spot every few minutes. that's a lot of work for a little tan.
it's not easy being a dog.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
hello? hello. and helloooo.
i don't know when i've gotten so much attention from my 9-year-old son as since he opened one of his christmas gifts. one that he didn't think he had a snowball's chance in hell of receiving.
he got a cell phone.
and i know, of course i know, a 9-year-old needs a phone like a snowball has a chance in hell. i know that. but, he begged for it. told me he needed it very badly. and when i would ask him for a specific instance when he might ever need a cell phone, he'd come up blank.
but then a strange thing happened. i began to imagine when he might need one. and although he is always either with me or with a friend whose mom has a cell phone, there were exceptions. like when he rides his bike around the corner to his friend's home. there is 3-4 minutes there when he is il communicado. or, in target, when he wants to look at games or toys, and i need to shop. how do we find each other? granted, it's not africa, it is just target, but still.
but i refused to sign any contract or get locked in. he is 9, after all. and then i hear about this wonderful invention called a tracfone, that you can buy at target, for less than a used DS game. and there's no contract, only minute cards you can purchase. (that HE can purchase with his own allowance, and budget.) i began to like the idea. kind of. not fully. because i survived quite nicely without a cell phone until i was fully grown. but then again, that was a century ago.
so he got it. and he squealed and danced. and it was definitely one of the happiest moments of his life. and what parent doesn't like to provide that?
he has pretty much figured the whole phone out without reading the manual. and that is because the manual was upside down, with the spanish side up, so he tossed it aside. and sadly, he figured out more without reading the manual than i ever did after devouring a manual.
he began programming our phone numbers into it. he asked, who else's number can i put in?
i said, well how about your friend's home numbers, in case you want to call them?
he: that's dumb. i'd just use our phone.
oh.
yesterday in target, he called me four times. and today he is out with his dad and brother, he's called three. once to tell me they were ok (oh, should i be worried?); once to tell me not to worry, they were having a good time; and then once to tell me that his phone worked really good.
that, i had already figured out.
he got a cell phone.
and i know, of course i know, a 9-year-old needs a phone like a snowball has a chance in hell. i know that. but, he begged for it. told me he needed it very badly. and when i would ask him for a specific instance when he might ever need a cell phone, he'd come up blank.
but then a strange thing happened. i began to imagine when he might need one. and although he is always either with me or with a friend whose mom has a cell phone, there were exceptions. like when he rides his bike around the corner to his friend's home. there is 3-4 minutes there when he is il communicado. or, in target, when he wants to look at games or toys, and i need to shop. how do we find each other? granted, it's not africa, it is just target, but still.
but i refused to sign any contract or get locked in. he is 9, after all. and then i hear about this wonderful invention called a tracfone, that you can buy at target, for less than a used DS game. and there's no contract, only minute cards you can purchase. (that HE can purchase with his own allowance, and budget.) i began to like the idea. kind of. not fully. because i survived quite nicely without a cell phone until i was fully grown. but then again, that was a century ago.
so he got it. and he squealed and danced. and it was definitely one of the happiest moments of his life. and what parent doesn't like to provide that?
he has pretty much figured the whole phone out without reading the manual. and that is because the manual was upside down, with the spanish side up, so he tossed it aside. and sadly, he figured out more without reading the manual than i ever did after devouring a manual.
he began programming our phone numbers into it. he asked, who else's number can i put in?
i said, well how about your friend's home numbers, in case you want to call them?
he: that's dumb. i'd just use our phone.
oh.
yesterday in target, he called me four times. and today he is out with his dad and brother, he's called three. once to tell me they were ok (oh, should i be worried?); once to tell me not to worry, they were having a good time; and then once to tell me that his phone worked really good.
that, i had already figured out.
Friday, December 26, 2008
loot remnants, all over the house
the day after christmas, and there is clusters of piles like this one all over the house. which i will be able to stand for about another 24 hours, at which time my superclean powers will activate and a flurry of orders and activity will be barked out. resulting in a house i can better live in. one where i can find things, and not trip.
whoever said pogo-sticking was easy? the spring is really tight at first, i thought ben was doing great just to balance on it. he caught on to hopping quickly, but he hops backwards. and do you see those crepe myrtles? yes, well he ended up in those most every time.
and on christmas day, cousin aimee ended up giving piano instruction for most of the day. the kids caught on quickly, and the house was filled with beautiful music. now ben wants a piano. to that i say .... maybe. a definite maybe.
whoever said pogo-sticking was easy? the spring is really tight at first, i thought ben was doing great just to balance on it. he caught on to hopping quickly, but he hops backwards. and do you see those crepe myrtles? yes, well he ended up in those most every time.
and on christmas day, cousin aimee ended up giving piano instruction for most of the day. the kids caught on quickly, and the house was filled with beautiful music. now ben wants a piano. to that i say .... maybe. a definite maybe.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
MERRY CHRISTMAS
every christmas is different. or you may be lucky enough to have many christmases together in a row with those you love and can tolerate for a few hours on christmas day, but things never stay the same for long. they get better, they get worse, they even out -- but nothing ever stays the same. this is as comforting as it is alarming.
this year, i know a lot of families -- ours included -- who are facing a new normal. one of my best friends lost her mother this year; another one lost her dad. i know two families where the mom is in the hospital.
our own family has a father in a comatose state. things will never be the same.
and yet, much good remains. much, much, much that is good.
as chekov said, we shall find peace. we shall hear the angels, we shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds.
merry christmas.
this year, i know a lot of families -- ours included -- who are facing a new normal. one of my best friends lost her mother this year; another one lost her dad. i know two families where the mom is in the hospital.
our own family has a father in a comatose state. things will never be the same.
and yet, much good remains. much, much, much that is good.
as chekov said, we shall find peace. we shall hear the angels, we shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds.
merry christmas.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
christmas cookie party
what happens when you give a handful of kids access to cookies, sugar, sprinkles, icing? they stay entertained for at least 30 minutes, that's what. and they make cookies so laden with sugar that you can almost hurl just looking at them. and then, they eat them.
hey, look -- it's the same haircut. only one spiked and the other didn't:
these two have been known to take small children hostage and lock them in closets. oh, sure, they look all nice:
these are the kids who made all the cookies, which got eaten and trampled and shaken, oh my:
this is the friend's industrial size christmas tree that is both seussical and majestic at the same time. (thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's tree. thou shalt not covet they neighbor's tree.):
these are the moms, plus one tater tot:
this is a glimpse into my rearview mirror. we are on the way to spend lots of quarters and eat lots of chicken:
and now it is quiet time, nap time, decompress time. and why is it that i am the only one who is tired?
hey, look -- it's the same haircut. only one spiked and the other didn't:
these two have been known to take small children hostage and lock them in closets. oh, sure, they look all nice:
these are the kids who made all the cookies, which got eaten and trampled and shaken, oh my:
this is the friend's industrial size christmas tree that is both seussical and majestic at the same time. (thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's tree. thou shalt not covet they neighbor's tree.):
these are the moms, plus one tater tot:
this is a glimpse into my rearview mirror. we are on the way to spend lots of quarters and eat lots of chicken:
and now it is quiet time, nap time, decompress time. and why is it that i am the only one who is tired?
Monday, December 22, 2008
8 things
i really had to stop and think about all this. but it's a fun assignment, kind of like having to pick your favorite flavor of ice cream. by a taste test.
8 shows i watch:
the view
desperate housewives
brothers & sisters
the new adventures of old christine
samantha who
frasier reruns
girls next door
lost
8 favorite restaurants:
outback
pappadeaux
pf changs
olive garden
chipotle (but only their steak salad)
pei wei
whataburger
taco bell (what can i say, i'm a cheap date)
8 things i look forward to:
my next vacation
getting a magazine/netflix in the mail
seeing how/what my children grow up to be
my mom moving closer to me (because three miles away is too far)
talking to my friends on the phone about something really juicy
seeing people i love and miss
barack obama taking office
payday
8 things i wish for:
a swimming pool
blindingly white teeth
my children to be happy
my mother's long and healthy life
nice surprises
good hair days
8 hours of sleep
an ipod/camera/computer that i can work all by myself
8 things that happened to me today:
got two photo christmas cards from long-lost friends
cancelled, for the last time, ben's online sub to pirates of the caribbean
wrapped the last christmas gift
listened to matthew count 160 tires while in traffic
told kids to please not throw cows into the christmas tree (don't ask)
got mad at someone who i should know better than to count on
saw that i killed yet another poinsettia
washed 5+ loads of laundry, but did not put all away yet
yes, as you can see, i live life in the fast lane. don't be jealous.
8 shows i watch:
the view
desperate housewives
brothers & sisters
the new adventures of old christine
samantha who
frasier reruns
girls next door
lost
8 favorite restaurants:
outback
pappadeaux
pf changs
olive garden
chipotle (but only their steak salad)
pei wei
whataburger
taco bell (what can i say, i'm a cheap date)
8 things i look forward to:
my next vacation
getting a magazine/netflix in the mail
seeing how/what my children grow up to be
my mom moving closer to me (because three miles away is too far)
talking to my friends on the phone about something really juicy
seeing people i love and miss
barack obama taking office
payday
8 things i wish for:
a swimming pool
blindingly white teeth
my children to be happy
my mother's long and healthy life
nice surprises
good hair days
8 hours of sleep
an ipod/camera/computer that i can work all by myself
8 things that happened to me today:
got two photo christmas cards from long-lost friends
cancelled, for the last time, ben's online sub to pirates of the caribbean
wrapped the last christmas gift
listened to matthew count 160 tires while in traffic
told kids to please not throw cows into the christmas tree (don't ask)
got mad at someone who i should know better than to count on
saw that i killed yet another poinsettia
washed 5+ loads of laundry, but did not put all away yet
yes, as you can see, i live life in the fast lane. don't be jealous.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
three wise women
i love tchotchkes (and yes, i had to look that spelling up) and i have a lot. i like sayings, like "dance with the one who brung you." if i could have it my way, every pillow and picture in my house would have a saying on it. and here's another one i love: "two choices for dinner: take it or leave it." and one that hangs above my back door says simply "simplify." my kids have given up trying to understand what exactly that means. (they're thinking too hard. one day they will get it.)
i also have a treasured postcard on my vanity, sent to me many moons ago by my friend kyle, who has a bawdy sense of humor. it is of a very young girl praying beside her bed and her thought bubble says: "thank you god for the nice face, but the fat ass has got to go." i will keep that until the day i die.
and the one below, which i think is especially timely (words follow):
in case you can't read that, it says: "three wise women would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, brought practical gifts and there would be peace on earth."
this hangs in the boys bathroom and needs no explanation:
the picture below hangs in my kitchen, and is a consolation prize because i really, really, really wanted a jane wooster scott painting, which i could never find, but i thought that this captured her small town feel:
the one below, i mean, hello, just be happy where you're at with what you have now, whydoncha. it's a good reminder.....
i like anything that has to do with, do it your own damn self. in fact, if i could find a huge painting that said just that, i might even wear it around my neck. but this one will suffice for the laundry room:
i also have a treasured postcard on my vanity, sent to me many moons ago by my friend kyle, who has a bawdy sense of humor. it is of a very young girl praying beside her bed and her thought bubble says: "thank you god for the nice face, but the fat ass has got to go." i will keep that until the day i die.
and the one below, which i think is especially timely (words follow):
in case you can't read that, it says: "three wise women would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, brought practical gifts and there would be peace on earth."
this hangs in the boys bathroom and needs no explanation:
the picture below hangs in my kitchen, and is a consolation prize because i really, really, really wanted a jane wooster scott painting, which i could never find, but i thought that this captured her small town feel:
the one below, i mean, hello, just be happy where you're at with what you have now, whydoncha. it's a good reminder.....
i like anything that has to do with, do it your own damn self. in fact, if i could find a huge painting that said just that, i might even wear it around my neck. but this one will suffice for the laundry room:
Saturday, December 20, 2008
and finally, it stops.
the craziness, that is. this week was a whirlwind -- and perhaps next year i should not try to pull off a seven-year-old's birthday party on the last day of school before the winter break. because last night i had two boys who had consumed a lot of sugar, and been in a frenzy of excitement all day long, and it's kind of like dancing and twirling near the edge of a stage. or a cliff. and it can, or might, or probably will come to a crashing halt.
it did not help matters that the crossing guard gave my younger son an entire bag of chocolate santas.
but it's done. all the last-minute crises of 30-something classroom parties, and one teacher in particular who was determined to find a crisis. she couldn't find one, and i really think it disappointed her. i think she is getting a lump of coal for christmas. i am sure of it. and it will be from me.
i had three different hairstyles yesterday. because when i first woke up, it was humid beyond what should be legal. so i popped a headband in and ran to school to see their holiday sing-a-long, or whatever generic name they must give it that leaves out the word CHRISTMAS. and really, people, we're just ignoring the elephant in the room. because the "winter break" is coincidentally always around the CHRISTMAS holiday. so why not just call it what it is. call a spade a spade. this is CHRISTMAS VACATION.
but i digress. so my hair was curly, i could actually hear it kinking up. so the kids sang, played their recorders, and then i had to rush off to the next thing. so next i tried to smooth my curls with the curling iron. that was somewhat better, but i wasn't gonna be winning any hairstyle contests. now or ever.
the whole day was spent, like every other one this week, rushing from one thing to the next. i'm tired of that, that is not fun. now i want to take bubble baths and watch a pile of movies and read the stack of books on my nightstand. that sounds like fun.
oh, and my hair. by the time their afternoon classroom parties rolled around, it was straight. because i finally gave up trying to make it look like anything and i just flat-ironed my whole head. because it's hard to concentrate when you have the makings of an afro in your face.
so here's some pictures from the laser-tag party, because i know you're just dying to see little kids dressed in battle gear holding guns.
and here is the birthday boy:
and now i'm going to start my vacation. hallelujah!
it did not help matters that the crossing guard gave my younger son an entire bag of chocolate santas.
but it's done. all the last-minute crises of 30-something classroom parties, and one teacher in particular who was determined to find a crisis. she couldn't find one, and i really think it disappointed her. i think she is getting a lump of coal for christmas. i am sure of it. and it will be from me.
i had three different hairstyles yesterday. because when i first woke up, it was humid beyond what should be legal. so i popped a headband in and ran to school to see their holiday sing-a-long, or whatever generic name they must give it that leaves out the word CHRISTMAS. and really, people, we're just ignoring the elephant in the room. because the "winter break" is coincidentally always around the CHRISTMAS holiday. so why not just call it what it is. call a spade a spade. this is CHRISTMAS VACATION.
but i digress. so my hair was curly, i could actually hear it kinking up. so the kids sang, played their recorders, and then i had to rush off to the next thing. so next i tried to smooth my curls with the curling iron. that was somewhat better, but i wasn't gonna be winning any hairstyle contests. now or ever.
the whole day was spent, like every other one this week, rushing from one thing to the next. i'm tired of that, that is not fun. now i want to take bubble baths and watch a pile of movies and read the stack of books on my nightstand. that sounds like fun.
oh, and my hair. by the time their afternoon classroom parties rolled around, it was straight. because i finally gave up trying to make it look like anything and i just flat-ironed my whole head. because it's hard to concentrate when you have the makings of an afro in your face.
so here's some pictures from the laser-tag party, because i know you're just dying to see little kids dressed in battle gear holding guns.
and here is the birthday boy:
and now i'm going to start my vacation. hallelujah!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
a basket of marbles
this is what i present to you today: a basket of marbles. a lot of little, unrelated things. because i have no one big thing to blog about. but i do have lots of little ones.
and i chose marbles because i think i'm about to lose mine.
*****
today was pajama day for first graders at school. so matthew's hideous spongebob slippers got put to good use, as well as his snowflake elf pajamas. and i wish i had a picture to capture the hilarity of it, but the battery died. we were walking to school this morning and he was feeling self-conscious, dressed as he was in this get-up.
mom, he said. life is hard. i wish no one could see me until i get into the first grade hall.
i understood. very well. because he asked me to escort him in, so he could hide behind me. and i had no makeup, crazy hair, and some get-up i had just thrown on to walk him down the street. i did not realize that i, too, would be wishing for an invisibility cloak.
so here is possibly the world's worst moving-action picture, but you can get an idea. and yes, spongebob's LEGS are coming out the back of the shoe. matthew's feet are in sb's mouth. lovely.
*****
the other night, i realized that we had something like 15 wreaths left in our garage from the scout fundraiser. extras. and i cannot let good things go to waste. so we hauled them into the car and began driving through the neighborhood to drop them off at friends' houses. and there was enough, more than enough, for each of us to pick some lucky recipients. and they are lucky because they look like this:
and they smell like a christmas tree farm. and they sell for $25-$30 and we were giving them away, practically throwing them out the car windows, for free. the kids would go to their friends doors and i instructed them not to ask if they wanted one, but to say, here is a christmas wreath for you. we had no time or room for a no. some people were confused...was it free? why a wreath? some people were not home. i didn't care, we left one on their porch. i was about to start hurling them like frisbees. when i am tired of a project, i am just done.
*****
so one little friend's house we went to, his parents were not home. not his mother, nor his father, nor an adult of any kind. he is 6, and his brother is 3. they were in pajamas, answering the door, and it was dark. i stood there in shock and told them to close and lock the door up.
um, WHAT THE HELL?
you think you know a person, but really how well do you know anyone. not very, it turns out.
*****
ok, so tomorrow afternoon is the big "winter party" at school, of which i have coordinated. or at least, i have found a room mom for 30-something classrooms, and six grade level coordinators, so we can definitely hope for the best. and i was until my phone started ringing.
what about extra books for the kids that don't bring one for the gift exchange?
(uh, what?)
what games are the fourth graders going to play?
(games? they need games? can't they just tear up the classroom and eat sugar for an hour?)
what about the pre-K and ppcd classes, who is bringing their party bags?
(the who-wha and the what-tee? i thought i was just in charge of kindergarten through fifth grade.)
and there were many, many other calls that i will not bore you with. from *people* who think the sky is falling and will surely crash on us all tomorrow because everyone knows you need a rocket science degree to pull a one-hour party off.
now excuse me while i make a note to myself, on a very long list of notes, of what NOT to volunteer for next year.
*****
my last marble is this. and it's a nice one.
my neighbor, who i have blogged about, who is having all sorts of health issues and has been in the hospital for many weeks, keeps getting bad news after bad news. she is a mom of two grade-schoolers. well one of our mutual friends went to see her. and instead of being all sad and mopey, she took the dvd of mamma mia. which is the meryl streep movie set to an abba soundtrack.
and the dvd player in the hospital room was broken, of course, so she called in a nurse to have it fixed. she's paying for this room, she said. it needs to work.
so the nurse called the tech guy, who fixed the dvd player, and my friend jana popped in the dvd. and she sang to it, and she danced around the hospital room, to "dancing queen" and all the other songs. and i'm not sure why this visual makes me so very happy, but it just does. a woman, singing and dancing for her friend, in a hospital room no less. just to make her smile.
because it's not over 'til you throw in the towel. and nobody is throwing any towel in. we will pray, and hope, and some of us will dance and sing.
YOU CAN DANCE
YOU CAN JIVE
HAVING THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE
SEE THAT GIRL
WATCH THAT SCENE
DIG IN THE DANCING QUEEN
and i chose marbles because i think i'm about to lose mine.
*****
today was pajama day for first graders at school. so matthew's hideous spongebob slippers got put to good use, as well as his snowflake elf pajamas. and i wish i had a picture to capture the hilarity of it, but the battery died. we were walking to school this morning and he was feeling self-conscious, dressed as he was in this get-up.
mom, he said. life is hard. i wish no one could see me until i get into the first grade hall.
i understood. very well. because he asked me to escort him in, so he could hide behind me. and i had no makeup, crazy hair, and some get-up i had just thrown on to walk him down the street. i did not realize that i, too, would be wishing for an invisibility cloak.
so here is possibly the world's worst moving-action picture, but you can get an idea. and yes, spongebob's LEGS are coming out the back of the shoe. matthew's feet are in sb's mouth. lovely.
*****
the other night, i realized that we had something like 15 wreaths left in our garage from the scout fundraiser. extras. and i cannot let good things go to waste. so we hauled them into the car and began driving through the neighborhood to drop them off at friends' houses. and there was enough, more than enough, for each of us to pick some lucky recipients. and they are lucky because they look like this:
and they smell like a christmas tree farm. and they sell for $25-$30 and we were giving them away, practically throwing them out the car windows, for free. the kids would go to their friends doors and i instructed them not to ask if they wanted one, but to say, here is a christmas wreath for you. we had no time or room for a no. some people were confused...was it free? why a wreath? some people were not home. i didn't care, we left one on their porch. i was about to start hurling them like frisbees. when i am tired of a project, i am just done.
*****
so one little friend's house we went to, his parents were not home. not his mother, nor his father, nor an adult of any kind. he is 6, and his brother is 3. they were in pajamas, answering the door, and it was dark. i stood there in shock and told them to close and lock the door up.
um, WHAT THE HELL?
you think you know a person, but really how well do you know anyone. not very, it turns out.
*****
ok, so tomorrow afternoon is the big "winter party" at school, of which i have coordinated. or at least, i have found a room mom for 30-something classrooms, and six grade level coordinators, so we can definitely hope for the best. and i was until my phone started ringing.
what about extra books for the kids that don't bring one for the gift exchange?
(uh, what?)
what games are the fourth graders going to play?
(games? they need games? can't they just tear up the classroom and eat sugar for an hour?)
what about the pre-K and ppcd classes, who is bringing their party bags?
(the who-wha and the what-tee? i thought i was just in charge of kindergarten through fifth grade.)
and there were many, many other calls that i will not bore you with. from *people* who think the sky is falling and will surely crash on us all tomorrow because everyone knows you need a rocket science degree to pull a one-hour party off.
now excuse me while i make a note to myself, on a very long list of notes, of what NOT to volunteer for next year.
*****
my last marble is this. and it's a nice one.
my neighbor, who i have blogged about, who is having all sorts of health issues and has been in the hospital for many weeks, keeps getting bad news after bad news. she is a mom of two grade-schoolers. well one of our mutual friends went to see her. and instead of being all sad and mopey, she took the dvd of mamma mia. which is the meryl streep movie set to an abba soundtrack.
and the dvd player in the hospital room was broken, of course, so she called in a nurse to have it fixed. she's paying for this room, she said. it needs to work.
so the nurse called the tech guy, who fixed the dvd player, and my friend jana popped in the dvd. and she sang to it, and she danced around the hospital room, to "dancing queen" and all the other songs. and i'm not sure why this visual makes me so very happy, but it just does. a woman, singing and dancing for her friend, in a hospital room no less. just to make her smile.
because it's not over 'til you throw in the towel. and nobody is throwing any towel in. we will pray, and hope, and some of us will dance and sing.
YOU CAN DANCE
YOU CAN JIVE
HAVING THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE
SEE THAT GIRL
WATCH THAT SCENE
DIG IN THE DANCING QUEEN
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
going to bed: man vs. woman
a man and a woman were watching tv when the mom said, i'm tired and it's getting late. i think i'll go to bed.
she went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches, rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning.
she then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the wash, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button. she picked up the game pieces left on the table and put the telephone book back into the drawer. she watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry. she yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom.
she stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a textbook out from hiding under the chair. she signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. she put both near her purse. the mom then washed her face, put on moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and trimmed her nails.
the dad called out, i thought you were going to bed.
i'm on my way, she said.
she put some water into the dog's dish and called the cat in, then made sure the doors were locked. she looked in on each of the kids and turned out a bedside lamp, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one still up doing homework.
in her own room, she set the alarm, laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. she added three things to her list of things to do for tomorrow. about that time, the dad turned off the tv and announced to no one in particular, i'm going to bed.
and he did.
she went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches, rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning.
she then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the wash, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button. she picked up the game pieces left on the table and put the telephone book back into the drawer. she watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry. she yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom.
she stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a textbook out from hiding under the chair. she signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. she put both near her purse. the mom then washed her face, put on moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and trimmed her nails.
the dad called out, i thought you were going to bed.
i'm on my way, she said.
she put some water into the dog's dish and called the cat in, then made sure the doors were locked. she looked in on each of the kids and turned out a bedside lamp, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one still up doing homework.
in her own room, she set the alarm, laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. she added three things to her list of things to do for tomorrow. about that time, the dad turned off the tv and announced to no one in particular, i'm going to bed.
and he did.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
christmas card outtakes
ben, the 9-yr-old master photographer, is checking for light and composition while we pose and wait. and wait. and wait.
ok, we do not make rabbit ears over daddy in our christmas card. please. let's try this again.
and now the dog wanders into the frame, looks like she's smelling ben's ear. matthew looks like he's sinking in quicksand.
but we finally got a winner. and if you are on our christmas card list, you should get it this week. otherwise, i'll post it on my blog on christmas day.
ok, we do not make rabbit ears over daddy in our christmas card. please. let's try this again.
and now the dog wanders into the frame, looks like she's smelling ben's ear. matthew looks like he's sinking in quicksand.
but we finally got a winner. and if you are on our christmas card list, you should get it this week. otherwise, i'll post it on my blog on christmas day.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
christmas comes early
my youngest son, he is a math whiz. he was doing multiplication at age 4, with no tutoring from mom and dad. he does his brother's fourth grade math homework from time to time (not for him, but alongside him). he computes everything into numbers. like if i say we will leave in an hour and a half, he'll say, oh, 90 minutes then, why didn't you just say so.
the other day, after he learned to ride his bike, we went to the school park to ride. ben told us that three times around the track was one mile, so matthew says, oh, then i'll go twelve times for four miles. and he does this very quickly, so quickly that slow mom here tries to compute in her head to see if he is right, which is a ridiculous waste of my time because, well, he just is.
he helped me count all the fundraiser money for scouts. and he left me in the dust. he took the $20 bills and was spewing, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, and so on. he sighs very loudly while i double-check his count more slowly and carefully. it's kind of hilarious, and it's kind of humbling, but i must say it keeps me very entertained. and it explains a lot looking back on his early childhood.
i like how when children are very young, there are clues as to who they will become. but you only see this in hindsight, and usually only if you take very good notes or have a clear memory. when he was 2 or 3 (he is now about to turn 7), and he would play some harry potter gamecube game, he always wanted to be hermione, the girl. which was curious because he has utter disdain for anything the slightest bit girly. and one of his famous insults that he likes to hurl at other boys if they're being especially whiny is, why don't you go put some lipstick on. but he would say that he liked to be hermione because she was the smartest. so he was willing to sacrifice a bit of his dignity to be the smartest player. it was worth it to him.
when he was in kindergarten, he quickly figured out who he thought was the smartest kid in the whole class. it was a boy named wesley. and we heard about what wesley did, or said, or ate every single day.
and now in first grade, they are together again. and his circle of friends has expanded to include three other boys, plus wesley. and all the other boys are chinese...except for matthew. and they are all very, very smart. and i say this with utmost respect for their chinese parents, who instill in them discipline and a desire to be and do their very best. so it is pretty hilarious to me that he has managed to infiltrate this tightknit group, because they normally keep very much to themselves. he gets invited to their parties, and their houses. he loves that they take all their shoes off outside. and, of course, he loves the eggrolls and sticky rice.
last week at school, he was among 15 kids picked from his whole school to take part in a national math contest. he is playing on a third-grade level (he's in first grade), so it is a little challenging when the questions involve pints, quarts, ounces, stuff like that. and god knows, mom can't help him. on friday, the principal announced over the intercom who was in first place, second, etc. matthew is in second place on his team; wesley is in first.
so friday after school, there was a pizza/dance party in the cafeteria. this is very lowbrow for him. he loved the pizza, but looked with disdain at the kids dancing (which included his older brother). he just looked like he was completely embarrassed for them, for their lack of decorum. he leaned over and said, can we go now? i just want to go home and practice my math. which i knew translated to: no way in hell is wesley gonna beat me on this math test.
which brings us to today. he told me that i was going to get my christmas present early. he later added a condition: i must tell him what one of his gifts was. so i told him that yes, he was indeed getting the bike computer that tells how fast he goes, how far, etc. (david said he'll probably be so busy staring at this tiny computer on his handlebars that he forgets he is actually riding his bike.) so he told me i was getting my favorite candy in the whole world, reese's, if i took him to the grocery store.
with his own money, he bought a bag of reese's with 90 pieces in it. i was so happy. then we came home and he put it in the fridge to harden. we don't like soft candy. then, he said it was time. so i went into the kitchen to get my bag of candy and this is what i saw:
this is my share of what i thought i was getting. i got ten pieces. he got 80. originally he said he was going to give me just 5, but then he realized how much he loved me. he said, i love you next to god. and i got 10 pieces. christmas has come early.
the other day, after he learned to ride his bike, we went to the school park to ride. ben told us that three times around the track was one mile, so matthew says, oh, then i'll go twelve times for four miles. and he does this very quickly, so quickly that slow mom here tries to compute in her head to see if he is right, which is a ridiculous waste of my time because, well, he just is.
he helped me count all the fundraiser money for scouts. and he left me in the dust. he took the $20 bills and was spewing, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, and so on. he sighs very loudly while i double-check his count more slowly and carefully. it's kind of hilarious, and it's kind of humbling, but i must say it keeps me very entertained. and it explains a lot looking back on his early childhood.
i like how when children are very young, there are clues as to who they will become. but you only see this in hindsight, and usually only if you take very good notes or have a clear memory. when he was 2 or 3 (he is now about to turn 7), and he would play some harry potter gamecube game, he always wanted to be hermione, the girl. which was curious because he has utter disdain for anything the slightest bit girly. and one of his famous insults that he likes to hurl at other boys if they're being especially whiny is, why don't you go put some lipstick on. but he would say that he liked to be hermione because she was the smartest. so he was willing to sacrifice a bit of his dignity to be the smartest player. it was worth it to him.
when he was in kindergarten, he quickly figured out who he thought was the smartest kid in the whole class. it was a boy named wesley. and we heard about what wesley did, or said, or ate every single day.
and now in first grade, they are together again. and his circle of friends has expanded to include three other boys, plus wesley. and all the other boys are chinese...except for matthew. and they are all very, very smart. and i say this with utmost respect for their chinese parents, who instill in them discipline and a desire to be and do their very best. so it is pretty hilarious to me that he has managed to infiltrate this tightknit group, because they normally keep very much to themselves. he gets invited to their parties, and their houses. he loves that they take all their shoes off outside. and, of course, he loves the eggrolls and sticky rice.
last week at school, he was among 15 kids picked from his whole school to take part in a national math contest. he is playing on a third-grade level (he's in first grade), so it is a little challenging when the questions involve pints, quarts, ounces, stuff like that. and god knows, mom can't help him. on friday, the principal announced over the intercom who was in first place, second, etc. matthew is in second place on his team; wesley is in first.
so friday after school, there was a pizza/dance party in the cafeteria. this is very lowbrow for him. he loved the pizza, but looked with disdain at the kids dancing (which included his older brother). he just looked like he was completely embarrassed for them, for their lack of decorum. he leaned over and said, can we go now? i just want to go home and practice my math. which i knew translated to: no way in hell is wesley gonna beat me on this math test.
which brings us to today. he told me that i was going to get my christmas present early. he later added a condition: i must tell him what one of his gifts was. so i told him that yes, he was indeed getting the bike computer that tells how fast he goes, how far, etc. (david said he'll probably be so busy staring at this tiny computer on his handlebars that he forgets he is actually riding his bike.) so he told me i was getting my favorite candy in the whole world, reese's, if i took him to the grocery store.
with his own money, he bought a bag of reese's with 90 pieces in it. i was so happy. then we came home and he put it in the fridge to harden. we don't like soft candy. then, he said it was time. so i went into the kitchen to get my bag of candy and this is what i saw:
this is my share of what i thought i was getting. i got ten pieces. he got 80. originally he said he was going to give me just 5, but then he realized how much he loved me. he said, i love you next to god. and i got 10 pieces. christmas has come early.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
SNOW!
imagine my utter shock yesterday when i was in the garage, shuffling through my dozens of scout wreaths, and i saw white things falling from the sky. i looked at the woman who was here to pick up her wreaths and said, what IS that? it didn't even dawn on us here, in the sahara desert, that it could possibly be snow. i ran inside to get the boys, who were in a "kung fu panda" trance, and yelled, IT'S SNOWING!!
i like the picture below because we thought the snowflakes showed up really good in matthew's dark hair.
and yes, this is how we do snow in texas: warm coats and flip-flops. the last time it snowed, which was years ago, i have a picture of them outside making a snowball barefoot. and i like to think that it is because the idea of snow is so foreign to me, that i can not possibly wrap my head around the idea of warm coats and shoes. hey, at least he has gloves on.
the really funny thing about this snow episode is that grant, the friend who was over, he goes skiing every year in places like banff. the boy has seen snow. he was like, you call this snow? and meanwhile my kids were screaming and laughing and getting BUCKETS, mind you, to catch tiny flakes while grant just stood there like, you people are out of your mind.
hey. we take it where we can get it, we do.
i like the picture below because we thought the snowflakes showed up really good in matthew's dark hair.
and yes, this is how we do snow in texas: warm coats and flip-flops. the last time it snowed, which was years ago, i have a picture of them outside making a snowball barefoot. and i like to think that it is because the idea of snow is so foreign to me, that i can not possibly wrap my head around the idea of warm coats and shoes. hey, at least he has gloves on.
the really funny thing about this snow episode is that grant, the friend who was over, he goes skiing every year in places like banff. the boy has seen snow. he was like, you call this snow? and meanwhile my kids were screaming and laughing and getting BUCKETS, mind you, to catch tiny flakes while grant just stood there like, you people are out of your mind.
hey. we take it where we can get it, we do.
Monday, December 8, 2008
washington, d.c., is the place to be
or it will be in january, to be sure. because there's a new sheriff coming to town! (and thank god in heaven above.) adios, bushy! don't let the door hit you on the way out!
and so something like 4 million people are expected to descend on d.c. in january for the inauguration. it's the biggest crowd expected in the history of biggest crowds. it's the most excitement generated by a president since jfk. and don't we need a president to be excited about? HELL TO THE YES.
but this is not a political post, so much. no, i got a very exciting email today from my cousin. this one,
who i've blogged sometimes incessantly about, stuff like busting into saturday night live with, or about how much my cousins mean to me. anyhoo, this little honey was just officially picked to be a part of the 2009 presidential inauguration. she received the highest possible endorsements to be a part of this. (she has been military -- coast guard -- her whole adult life.)
this is a huge honor. it's a huge moment in our nation's history. more people voted in this election than ever before. i just love it that he was the underdog; this is THE tale of tales, the proof that anything is possible if you have the audacity to dream it, and hope for it. a black man in america won more votes than any candidate in u.s. history. even if he wasn't your man, how can you not be moved by that?
oh, right, this wasn't supposed to be a political blog. sorry. i've just never before in my life cared about politics and now i do. me and a few other million people.
back to susan. in the words of "the washington post," only "the best of the best" make the list being submitted for final selection to the committee brass. she will be a vip escort on the day of inauguration. "it is a once-in-a-lifetime, much-sought-after job, especially this time, for the installation of obama, the country's first black president," the post says.
she will have a car and a driver, and -- this is so exciting to me, as a fan of spy movies -- she'll have a global positioning satellite device allowing the car she is in to be tracked at a command center downtown during the inauguration.
one former pick said this: "you get to witness the change of leadership of the united states of america. and to be a part of it, and to say that you were a part of it in your small way, is pretty significant."
susan lives outside of d.c. and works in the city; the kids heard me on the phone with her tonight. when i got off, i said: guess where i want to go this year?
matthew said, oh, don't tell me, i already know: washington mutual.
well, close. we will have to go to the bank before we make a trip, but i think it's going to be a splendid year to visit the nation's capital.
and so something like 4 million people are expected to descend on d.c. in january for the inauguration. it's the biggest crowd expected in the history of biggest crowds. it's the most excitement generated by a president since jfk. and don't we need a president to be excited about? HELL TO THE YES.
but this is not a political post, so much. no, i got a very exciting email today from my cousin. this one,
who i've blogged sometimes incessantly about, stuff like busting into saturday night live with, or about how much my cousins mean to me. anyhoo, this little honey was just officially picked to be a part of the 2009 presidential inauguration. she received the highest possible endorsements to be a part of this. (she has been military -- coast guard -- her whole adult life.)
this is a huge honor. it's a huge moment in our nation's history. more people voted in this election than ever before. i just love it that he was the underdog; this is THE tale of tales, the proof that anything is possible if you have the audacity to dream it, and hope for it. a black man in america won more votes than any candidate in u.s. history. even if he wasn't your man, how can you not be moved by that?
oh, right, this wasn't supposed to be a political blog. sorry. i've just never before in my life cared about politics and now i do. me and a few other million people.
back to susan. in the words of "the washington post," only "the best of the best" make the list being submitted for final selection to the committee brass. she will be a vip escort on the day of inauguration. "it is a once-in-a-lifetime, much-sought-after job, especially this time, for the installation of obama, the country's first black president," the post says.
she will have a car and a driver, and -- this is so exciting to me, as a fan of spy movies -- she'll have a global positioning satellite device allowing the car she is in to be tracked at a command center downtown during the inauguration.
she, along with the others who made the final cut, will get a crash course on legal, ethical, protocol and logistical training the first week in january, and a full-blown inauguration dress rehearsal is scheduled for jan. 11. by inauguration day, everything must be "perfect."
other applicants had served several tours of duty in iraq; been awarded the purple heart; were graduates of west point; some are lawyers, or public affairs officers, or widely traveled.one former pick said this: "you get to witness the change of leadership of the united states of america. and to be a part of it, and to say that you were a part of it in your small way, is pretty significant."
susan lives outside of d.c. and works in the city; the kids heard me on the phone with her tonight. when i got off, i said: guess where i want to go this year?
matthew said, oh, don't tell me, i already know: washington mutual.
well, close. we will have to go to the bank before we make a trip, but i think it's going to be a splendid year to visit the nation's capital.
better shots by a better photographer
ok, well, i tried to photograph our christmas tree myself, with the one setting i know how to use on my 9-year-old son's complicated (to me) camera. but evidently i didn't do a good enough job because these better pictures came through to me today on my email. from someone who lives in this home but shall remain nameless. and who has a much better, much more complicated camera than i could ever hope to use. so here:
and here:
do you hear the angels singing? every tree is different, and i think most every tree i see is very pretty in its own way. i really do. i love short, fat trees. i love tall skinny ones. i like ones with whimsical, folksy ornaments and those with priceless adornments. how can you not like a christmas tree? i like popcorn strung around for decoration. or paper-cut snowflakes.
i remember one year at college, my friend rob had a tree and no ornaments. so sweet jen, who has a way with scissors and a knack for funny drawings, took pictures of all of us and made dozens of ornaments for his tree. it was the best tree EVER. what i wouldn't give for a picture of it. those were priceless adornments.
but our tree for the last few years, seen here, i do love. true, i could load it down with dozens more ornaments, but i like them to mean something. and so it's a work in progress. for example, we have ornaments collected from our family trips to new york and disneyworld. and "our first home" and "baby's first christmas." you can't rush those things.
and this tree to me is very quiet. like the quiet you hear when snow is falling. or how on a really cold night you can hear a train whistle very clearly. it's just very quiet and still. and i love that side of christmas.
and here:
do you hear the angels singing? every tree is different, and i think most every tree i see is very pretty in its own way. i really do. i love short, fat trees. i love tall skinny ones. i like ones with whimsical, folksy ornaments and those with priceless adornments. how can you not like a christmas tree? i like popcorn strung around for decoration. or paper-cut snowflakes.
i remember one year at college, my friend rob had a tree and no ornaments. so sweet jen, who has a way with scissors and a knack for funny drawings, took pictures of all of us and made dozens of ornaments for his tree. it was the best tree EVER. what i wouldn't give for a picture of it. those were priceless adornments.
but our tree for the last few years, seen here, i do love. true, i could load it down with dozens more ornaments, but i like them to mean something. and so it's a work in progress. for example, we have ornaments collected from our family trips to new york and disneyworld. and "our first home" and "baby's first christmas." you can't rush those things.
and this tree to me is very quiet. like the quiet you hear when snow is falling. or how on a really cold night you can hear a train whistle very clearly. it's just very quiet and still. and i love that side of christmas.
wreaths are here!
last week, 100 wreaths were delivered to my home. these were for our scouts to sell at the grocery store this past weekend. i had thought this was a lofty goal -- sell 50 wreaths a day to people walking into the grocery store -- and now i see that, yes, i was correct. because now there are 36 wreaths in my garage. they sold 64. which is not bad!
this is what our weekend looked like:
10-4 saturday: sell wreaths.
5:00 make a gingerbread house. the kids had been wanting to do this all week but there wasn't enough time. so finally, FINALLY, they made the house saturday night. and it looked so cute and pretty, and then -- the roof started to slide. and from there, it just all headed south. the house, the project, the night. here it is now:
and yes, i know it is sad looking. but it sure tasted good until the icing started to harden and now it could be used to break a window, if that need should arise.
and yesterday was the scoutiest day ever:
10-4 sell wreaths. and may i just say, if my kids never see another wreath, it will be too soon for them. they were only required to work a 90-minute shift, but they ended up hanging out there most of the day . . . there were friends, there were nice people not buying wreaths but handing them a donation, there was lots of attention.
4:30-6 my older son had a den meeting. tired? yes, very. because remember, he is still recuperating from the sleepover party from friday. and boy how i wish i could divulge some details from THAT, but i am friends with these women, and my son is friends with these boys, so i have to lock it in the vault. (but again, it would provide much fodder for, what is wrong with all these people?)
6:30-8 scout leader meeting. my husband and i both must attend, and if i didn't like these people it would be utter torture.
we got home to find one child passed out on the sofa (being patted by nanny -- and by nanny i mean his real grandmother, not hired help), and the other alive and kicking and playing wii upstairs.
now i must think about doing christmas cards. and cleaning my house. and organizing room parents for the "winter party." when is my break? when am i off duty? whoever thinks that being a stay-at-home mom is a big snoozefest needs to put a camera on my life. (but not really. it would still probably put you to sleep.)
this is what our weekend looked like:
10-4 saturday: sell wreaths.
5:00 make a gingerbread house. the kids had been wanting to do this all week but there wasn't enough time. so finally, FINALLY, they made the house saturday night. and it looked so cute and pretty, and then -- the roof started to slide. and from there, it just all headed south. the house, the project, the night. here it is now:
and yes, i know it is sad looking. but it sure tasted good until the icing started to harden and now it could be used to break a window, if that need should arise.
and yesterday was the scoutiest day ever:
10-4 sell wreaths. and may i just say, if my kids never see another wreath, it will be too soon for them. they were only required to work a 90-minute shift, but they ended up hanging out there most of the day . . . there were friends, there were nice people not buying wreaths but handing them a donation, there was lots of attention.
4:30-6 my older son had a den meeting. tired? yes, very. because remember, he is still recuperating from the sleepover party from friday. and boy how i wish i could divulge some details from THAT, but i am friends with these women, and my son is friends with these boys, so i have to lock it in the vault. (but again, it would provide much fodder for, what is wrong with all these people?)
6:30-8 scout leader meeting. my husband and i both must attend, and if i didn't like these people it would be utter torture.
we got home to find one child passed out on the sofa (being patted by nanny -- and by nanny i mean his real grandmother, not hired help), and the other alive and kicking and playing wii upstairs.
now i must think about doing christmas cards. and cleaning my house. and organizing room parents for the "winter party." when is my break? when am i off duty? whoever thinks that being a stay-at-home mom is a big snoozefest needs to put a camera on my life. (but not really. it would still probably put you to sleep.)
Friday, December 5, 2008
sugar and spice and frogs and snails
so i went in to my fourth grader's room this morning to get his coat, even though he assured me that a jacket and t-shirt was really fine for this 34 degree weather, and i see his bed. and i love it.
he wakes up early, really early, every day. always has. and he has been trained to be QUIET until a more godly hour when the rest of us get up. so he amuses himself, sometimes with books or sudoku, and sometimes with his toys. and i just love that he still can play with dinosaurs. and that his beloved lamb is still in his bed.
tonight he is going to a sleepover. mom here is not a big fan of the sleepover. there will be several boys, and i'm sure much burping and farting, and energy enough to power a rocketship. and tomorrow, there very might well be fallout.
the last sleepover he went to was a disaster. he came home in a state equal to that of a drunk. the mother smiled when she brought him home and said, well i THINK they may have slept a little between the hours of 1 and 4, but they were up by 5. and then she laughed. and then she drove off. and then i made a mental note that he will NEVER sleep over at THAT house again.
because he staggered to the sofa and collapsed. his eyes were heavy, but he was hungry. so i fixed him a big plate of food, and then noticed a few minutes later that he was asleep, sound asleep. and when i went to adjust his head, i saw that he had fallen asleep with a mouth full of food. so, basically, he could have choked if i wasn't paying attention.
and when he woke up, when he had to wake up, because we as a people roam during the day and sleep at night, what kind of mood do you think he was in? yes, not a good one. oh, joy for the rest of us. what a fun, fun day that was.
so i am about to pack his duffle bag for tonight. and after school i will send him on his way. and the mother, whom i know very well and talk to almost daily to try and determine what is wrong with everyone else, assures me that on her watch they WILL get sleep. and i know this to be true. because she intends to "bunk down" with them. she has asked me to pray for her. i tell her i will. i tell her, better you than me. she is most dreading all the farting. and to that, again, i say better you than me.
he wakes up early, really early, every day. always has. and he has been trained to be QUIET until a more godly hour when the rest of us get up. so he amuses himself, sometimes with books or sudoku, and sometimes with his toys. and i just love that he still can play with dinosaurs. and that his beloved lamb is still in his bed.
tonight he is going to a sleepover. mom here is not a big fan of the sleepover. there will be several boys, and i'm sure much burping and farting, and energy enough to power a rocketship. and tomorrow, there very might well be fallout.
the last sleepover he went to was a disaster. he came home in a state equal to that of a drunk. the mother smiled when she brought him home and said, well i THINK they may have slept a little between the hours of 1 and 4, but they were up by 5. and then she laughed. and then she drove off. and then i made a mental note that he will NEVER sleep over at THAT house again.
because he staggered to the sofa and collapsed. his eyes were heavy, but he was hungry. so i fixed him a big plate of food, and then noticed a few minutes later that he was asleep, sound asleep. and when i went to adjust his head, i saw that he had fallen asleep with a mouth full of food. so, basically, he could have choked if i wasn't paying attention.
and when he woke up, when he had to wake up, because we as a people roam during the day and sleep at night, what kind of mood do you think he was in? yes, not a good one. oh, joy for the rest of us. what a fun, fun day that was.
so i am about to pack his duffle bag for tonight. and after school i will send him on his way. and the mother, whom i know very well and talk to almost daily to try and determine what is wrong with everyone else, assures me that on her watch they WILL get sleep. and i know this to be true. because she intends to "bunk down" with them. she has asked me to pray for her. i tell her i will. i tell her, better you than me. she is most dreading all the farting. and to that, again, i say better you than me.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
hark! the herald angels sing
or maybe it's not angels, it's just us, squealing that our tree is finally lit. trust me when i say this picture does not do it justice. this tree is all about the lights. and, i am not a great photographer; there is one setting i can work with, and that one setting must suffice for every single picture i take. me becoming a photographer is not gonna happen in this lifetime, k? so this is the tree that sucked up our family's weekend being wrapped in lights, only to go out completely when i did something to it. but, finally, we can send a signal to space now. and there's more to come -- there's a whole village, with snow and hills, that goes underneath; there's a train; and there's a tired mom who says "good enough" who just wants to watch her netflix, thank you very much.
Monday, December 1, 2008
christmas is in the air
and on the doorstep. i finally got all my pumpkins and scarecrow put up, and down came the dozens of boxes of christmas decor. so you know what we did all weekend! and a trip to sam's for $16 poinsettias and it's all good. of course, this wreath will most likely be replaced with a scout wreath since we just maybe over-ordered a teensy bit for our grocery sale this weekend. we ordered 100. last year we did good to sell 50.
this is the kids tree upstairs. you can't tell from the picture but there's a lot of colored lights blinking really, really fast. like lightspeed. i would show you our main tree but there was a little snafu last night . . . and that would be that after david spent hours wrapping every single branch to the trunk and back with thousands of lights, i nonchalantly tossed the tree-topper up there, just to have the whole tree go dark. uh-oh. times one thousand. he says he can fix it. it's one of those little joys of christmas that make you want to pull your hair out.
i went to target and bought this red pillow that makes me unreasonably happy. it's just a perfect pop of color in my otherwise blonde living room. i have instructed all who live here not to TOUCH this pillow. it is not to wad up, or drool on, or use as a food tray. it is simply to look at.
when you live in a frat house like i do, you have to be very specific.
this is the kids tree upstairs. you can't tell from the picture but there's a lot of colored lights blinking really, really fast. like lightspeed. i would show you our main tree but there was a little snafu last night . . . and that would be that after david spent hours wrapping every single branch to the trunk and back with thousands of lights, i nonchalantly tossed the tree-topper up there, just to have the whole tree go dark. uh-oh. times one thousand. he says he can fix it. it's one of those little joys of christmas that make you want to pull your hair out.
i went to target and bought this red pillow that makes me unreasonably happy. it's just a perfect pop of color in my otherwise blonde living room. i have instructed all who live here not to TOUCH this pillow. it is not to wad up, or drool on, or use as a food tray. it is simply to look at.
when you live in a frat house like i do, you have to be very specific.
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