Snow Comes Up

My Complete Lack of Self-Control

2011-12-13T11:17:00.000-08:00

I shouldn't go to Target by myself, especially this time of year. There are too many fun things so I always over spend. It would be better if I gave a more responsible person my list and let them shop for me. At the very least, I should take a buddy with me. Left on my own, I always come home with something extra.

Today, I purchased these:

I had to. They were completely necessary.

A Final Word

2011-11-30T23:17:00.000-08:00

Wow...November is almost over! One final post and I'll be done blogging! Whew!

As I was playing Farkle with Andy tonight, I was trying to think about what to write today.

One idea was to write about pepper and how none of use it. I used a pinch of it tonight, that's what brought it to mind. Really though, I only cook with it on the bluest of moons. I buy a new container of it every now and then because I feel like I should, but I'm certain that in almost seventeen years of marriage, we haven't used the accumulated total of one container. We're just not black pepper people.

Another thought was to write about how The Fellowship of the Ring is my favorite LOTR movie. The Two Towers was on tonight and it really is a fairly close second; I do like the Battle of Helm's Deep. Helm's? Or Helms? Is Helm a person who has a deep? Or is the deep made of Helms? Don't know, never read the book. At any rate, nothing compares to Fellowship.

I considered writing about the Rock 'n' Roll Head Bob. You've seen it, I'm sure you have. Andy had his iPod on shuffle for a while this evening and Sad But True (Metallica) came on. I looked up and realized that Andy, Matt, and I were all bobbing. Not head banging, but bobbing. It was kind of funny. Love Metallica's sound.

I could have written about any number of things, but instead I think I'll offer a simple thank you. You, my few but faithful readers, have followed, commented, and supported me as I made my 2011 NaBloPoMo journey. While I'm not the best of writers, I do look forward to the challenge each year and I thoroughly enjoy trying to be creative.

So thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for hanging with me. You're the best!

Ten on Tuesday

2011-11-29T14:48:00.000-08:00

Since this is the last Tuesday of the month and my time with NaBloPoMo is almost over, I thought that I would end this series with a note of thankfulness. I've listed five people and five things (totaling ten, see how I did that?) for which I am very, very thankful.

The People:

1. Andy. He's been my everything for almost eighteen years now; I simply can't imagine life without him.

2. My kiddos. They're keepers. They probably think I nag them too much; I hope that one day they realize that I really have their best interest at heart and that I am incredibly proud of the young men they're becoming. I couldn't ask for better sons.

3. Parents. Mine and Andy's. Both of us have such amazing, loving, and supportive parents. I guess in all fairness, I should have called this one "family," because I am equally thankful for all of the brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews that I inherited when I married Andy. Especially the sisters. They fill a void that I never really knew existed. What a blessing.

4. Wives. Specifically, Wives Club. This is a very small and select group of friends that I have been close to for many years. We used to meet once a month for iced tea and french fries; we'd share how our lives, marriages, jobs, and families were going. There was no subject off limits, and nothing that was said ever left the table. It's the best group of ladies ever. While we don't all live in the same city anymore and are unable to meet regularly, thanks to this lovely invention called the Internet, we can still share things and "get together" at the drop of a hat. I don't know what I'd do without these ladies. Seriously.

5. Old Friends. The last few years have given me the opportunity to reconnect with some old friends, much of it is aided by Facebook. These friends are amazing. They encourage me, challenge me, they make me laugh, we can pray for each other, it's wonderful. I'm glad to be a part of their lives again.

The Things:

6. God's Provision. We always have a roof over our head, clothes on our back, and food on the table. He continues to supply our needs. I am continually humbled and grateful.

7. Cell Phones. They really are fabulous. Especially when they sit on a pillow next to an amazing woman so that I can "be there" as she brings a wonderful new little guy into the world. It meant the world to me.

8. My Kitchen-Aid Mixer. I made 425 cookies yesterday...you bet I am thankful for my mixer!

9. Cold/Rainy/Cool Weather. I know, I know...I live in the wrong state. I'm sure I'm one of the only people in San Diego who doesn't like the weather. I am quite thankful that this is the time of year when "my weather" starts. It gets cold, it stays overcast and cloudy, and if we're lucky enough...it rains! You wouldn't know it today, sunny and blech. But I'm glad that my time is coming.

10. The sounds and smells of Christmas. I love how everywhere you go this time of year, you hear Christmas songs and things smell like cinnamon and/or pine trees. I kind of didn't want to leave Ralph's this morning - it was great!

Blog-Worthy

2011-11-28T21:49:00.000-08:00

I have tried very hard not to blog too much about my kids this year; while I love them to death, I really don't want to be a "mommy blogger." I think I've done a pretty good job. I gave a shout out to each of them at the end of their respective seasons, and I really thought that would be it for the rest of the month. However, something happened tonight that I felt must be mentioned. We spend the evening at Matt's football banquet.
Several things struck me as blog worthy....

1. The defense this year was outstanding. Matt was a starting defensive lineman all year, and I knew that they had done quite well. Tonight I heard the numbers. They allowed 224 passing yards on the season and they allowed -129 rushing yards. Yes, that's a "negative". That means that the net yards allowed on the season was 95. That's an average of 9.5 yards per game. That's phenomenal. It's practically unheard of in high school, at any level.
Matt was part of something great.

2. My kid is really smart. Matt was one of three players to win the Einstein Award. It is given to players who maintain a 4.0 GPA throughout the season. Totally awesome.

3. I'm going to call him Rudy for a while. Tonight, much to my surprise and delight, Matt was given the 2011 Nighthawk Award. It is the freshman equivalent to the Rudy Award, which John won last year as a JV player. This is the award that is the all-around award. They take in to account all aspects of the player: play on the field, work ethic at practice/off the field, academics, character, leadership, the whole nine yards.
It's really quite an honor.
We are so proud of Matthew!

Man, I love him. Well done, son.

A Timely Reminder

2011-11-27T22:34:00.000-08:00

Before you read on, please take four minutes and watch the video below. It's not the original music video, but it's the one with the best audio and they really do a great job with the photos. Even if you know the song, please watch it, think about the words, and then come back to me...

So, what did you think?

If you're at all like me, it struck a chord and caused you to consider your typical Christmas season. It seems that we spend much of the year waiting for Christmastime to arrive and then it rushes by in a flurry of parties, shopping, presents and responsibilities. It's over before we realize it and it was all one big blur. My head started to spin when I realized that I have to bake around 400 cookies tomorrow; I thought to myself, "It's already started and it's not even December yet!"

Maybe I'm just more reflective these days since my kids are getting older. I seem to notice every second that ticks by, and it's one second less that they'll be here and life will exist as I know it. Adulthood is knocking at the door for them and I'm trying to make the most of all of the time that we have together.

Whatever stage of life you find yourself in, I encourage you to think about the coming month. What are the important things? What really matters? I challenge you to make an effort to slow down this year, to remember what Christmas is really about.

Make this Christmas special, not by attending as many parties as possible or by giving the most expensive gifts, but by remembering the true reason that we celebrate Christmas and by spending time with those you love.

One Ringy Dingy...

2011-11-26T15:03:00.000-08:00

There are a few things that I get geeked out about and take very seriously; high on that list is my ring tones.

I love having different ring tones on my cell phone. It's quite fun to have a variety of songs play throughout the day and I like to be able to tell who is calling. Perhaps I'm a bit of a control freak. At any rate, on my previous phone, I could download songs but I was at the mercy of the clip that they published. No more! My newest phone, being of the smart persuasion, is able to not only play any song imaginable (either by download or by importing from iTunes), but I can "trim" the song so that the portion selected is exactly what I hear when someone calls. I know. It's awesome.

Today, since Christmas season is clearly and officially upon us, I spent some time loading my Christmas ring tones. I have one song that is my default tone, and I assigned separate songs to the six people who call me the most.

The songs that I choose vary from year to year; I suppose it depends on my mood when I'm doing it. This year, I have quite a mix of selections: Glee, George Straight, The Drifters, White Heart, The Muppets, Stan Boreson, and a Bing Crosby/Fred Astaire duet. I love it!

I'm ready.
Now all I need is a phone call; it's been a very quiet afternoon.

2001

2011-11-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

John fell asleep like this quite often; he loved to read!

Crazy Hair Day at Preschool

Matt getting to hold his newest cousin, Gabe.
Big sister, Kali, is going to make sure that he does it right!

This is the first time that they performed together at church.

Hooray! No training wheels!

John wanted to go and get his own sombrero for his fifth birthday.
I promise you, that is Matt's happy grimace.
Apparently it's okay to wear someone else's sombrero...

Bumper Cars are the best!

John's first camping trip!
My Dad taught him how to fish.
Success!

Story time! That was their "reading corner" at my Mom and Dad's house.
They sat there for hours!

Disneyland!

The little pool and the big pool.

New trains for Matt's fourth birthday!

John was ready to conquer his first day of Kindergarten...

...Matt didn't want to let him go.

Showing his work to Grandma at his preschool Open House.

Hooray! Coffmans!
This is most of the gang (sans grandkids) at my brother-in-law's wedding.
Only my sister- and brother-in-law who live in Germany weren't there.
(Ignore the date stamp on the photo, it's a bit off. )
I married into one fantastic family! Love these people!
If you took picture of all of us now, you'd have to add in said Germans, one more brother-in-law, and twenty-one grandchildren! We're quite a group!

Baking soda submarines!

My cowboy and Buzz Lightyear.

Love.

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving Fun

2011-11-24T22:04:00.000-08:00

Today was great; I hope that you enjoyed your Thanksgiving as much as we enjoyed ours! We had a great meal with my in-laws, popped in on my uncle and his crew, and then topped off the night with a visit to our amazing aunt's house. It was a fabulous day.

If you want to add a few minutes of good ol' fun to your next gathering, you should consider playing "Who, What, When, Where, Why."

This is a fun little party game that was introduced to us by my sister-in-law. Unfortunately she couldn't join us today (she lives in Nova Scotia), but she will definitely be receiving an email detailing all of the hilarity. You write the five "W" words on a piece of paper and then you fill in the first one, "Who." Then you fold it over so that no one can see what you wrote and you pass it to the person on your right. They do the same for "What" and then pass it on. This keeps going until all of the W's are filled in. When you get to the end, you have some funny papers, because no one knows what the person before them wrote.

After lunch, I played with my sister-in-law (not the Canadian one), my niece, my mother-in-law, and two friends. We played quite a few rounds; I had Andy pick out a few to share with you. Remember, "Who, What, When, Where, Why."

Elvis
Started a large eclair bakery on the upper side of Manhattan
On my fifty-second birthday
In the kitchen
In order to placate his disapproving Aunt Edna.

The poor forlorn orphan
Made a stick
On the third Thursday of each month
Where the sky meets the horizon by the old bog
Because he ran out of floss.

A one-legged grasshopper
Had a baby
During the exceedingly boring lecture
In the cookie jar
Because it peed on mom's favorite carpet.

See? Just a goofy little game that anyone can play, young and old alike. The winner of the day came just a bit ago at Aunt Lissa's house. It was written by my mother-in-law, myself, my hubby, my brother-in-law and my sister-in-law. (I should warn you...this is what happens when you let boys play.) It's actually kind of uncanny how this one flows together, given that we didn't know what each other were writing.

My sister's mother's grandson
Ran through the snow in his underwear
After a satisfying bowel movement
In the men's room at Balboa Park
Because the milk man turned out to be his father.

Happy Turkey Day, everyone! Enjoy the left-overs and let Christmastime begin!

Business in the Front, Party in the Back

2011-11-23T16:42:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not talking about a mullet. (Although there is one picture of me that Andy has hidden away somewhere; it had better not ever see the light of day!) I'm speaking about the weird collision of decorations that can be seen at my house right now. I should be used to it; it happens every year on the day before Thanksgiving. It's just always a bit strange.

The front patio and all of the indoor decorations are still fully fall. Granted, they're short-timers now, but they're there. Lots of pumpkins, gourds, scarecrows, leaves, orange lights...it's lovely. However, if you're sitting in my recliner and looking out onto the back patio - it's Christmas!

I have this weird thing: no Christmas lights can go on until after Thanksgiving. But since I'm always so anxious to see the lights, I like to come home to them on Thanksgiving night. Each year on Thanksgiving morning, before the turkey and stuffing and general, wonderful piggy-ness, we put up the Christmas lights out front. And the flowers and the garland. It's great! Then we go celebrate Thanksgiving with family and when we come home, bam!, it's Christmas.

I wanted the same to be true of my back patio too. Knowing that I won't have time to decorate tomorrow morning, I did it today. Don't worry...I won't turn the lights on tonight; that would be cheating. In fact, I'll probably close the blinds so that I won't even be tempted.

By noon tomorrow, all of the outside decorations will be up; by Saturday, the tree and everything inside will be done. But for right now, it's just a little odd to see different holidays, depending on which window you look out from!

Ten on Tuesday

2011-11-22T12:23:00.000-08:00

Today, I submit the Top 10 Signs (as if you needed any) That the Holidays Are Here!

1. Fires in fireplaces. I love opening the windows at night and smelling all of the fires that people in the neighborhood have going. I get to enjoy it without the mess of having my own fireplace.

2. Ringy, Ringy. The Salvation Army people are out with their red buckets and little bells.

3. Lights are up. Not my lights, mine will go up on Thursday as per tradition; but there is a house a few blocks over that has their lights up. I really do love Christmas lights.

4. Time is passing too quickly. I think I spend all year impatiently waiting for the holidays to arrive, and then they fly buy. I wish the season was longer.

5. Slippers. No longer do I walk around the house barefoot; the tile is just way too cold. I always have my slippers on.

6. Auto Repairs. This may sound silly, but as I was sitting at the Toyota dealer today having my Sequoia worked on, I realized that every year around the holidays I have to have some work done. It's like it knows and is trying to annoy me.

7. Candy Stripes. All of the light poles at the shopping center are covered with candy cane stripes. It makes me happy.

8. Crowded aisles. I'm not talking about people at the grocery store; I'm talking about walking though the aisles at a department store. You can't! This time of year, they fill the aisles with knickknacks, wallets, table-top Foosball games...all kinds of stuff. I really don't like the clutter.

9. Baking Goods. Not baked goods; baking goods. I just spent well over $100 at Vons for ingredients to make candies, cookies, and pies. I don't know what I'm going to cook for dinner tonight, but I'll be armed with all of the appropriate sweets on Thursday and Friday!

10. Kid Noise. Currently, my kids are downstairs, in the middle of the day, playing Guitar Hero. Back when I home schooled both of them and they could play Guitar Hero every day, I got quite tired of listening to it. Now, I cherish it. So thankful that they're home for a week!

Just What the Doctor Ordered...Or Not

2011-11-21T22:33:00.000-08:00

As I was making dinner tonight, I had to chuckle...

Both of the boys had their annual physicals today. Matt went in this morning; John went in late this afternoon. Both of them can see and hear; neither one of them cried when they got a shot.

We had to answer all of the typical questions: Do they watch too much TV? Are they getting enough exercise? How are they doing in school? Do they sleep well? You know, pretty standard. Having been a mom for over fifteen years now, I was ready for all of the questions. For the most part, everything was answered to the doctor's satisfaction.

Everything but one: Are they eating enough fruits and vegetables? Yeah, we always stink at that one. I don't really like fruits and vegetables, so I'm terrible at serving them. They eat bananas every now and again; perhaps the occasional applesauce cup. As for veggies...we eat corn a lot. That's about the extent of it. As always, I said that I'd try to do better; that I'd cook healthier, more balanced meals.

So why did I chuckle while I was fixing dinner? Because I was making mashed potatoes. Good mashed potatoes. With cream and butter. Lots of butter. And what is the best thing to have with mashed potatoes? Fried chicken and gravy, of course!

Sorry, Doc. What can I say? My grandma taught me to cook...and tonight's dinner was delicious!

Blooming

2011-11-20T15:58:00.000-08:00

Approximately eight years ago, I planted a camellia in my front patio. According to the average growth rate of the plant, it should be about eight feet tall by now. You know, like the one the neighbors have on the other side of the fence. Mine is about two feet tall.

I'm telling you, it doesn't grow. I've fed it, I've watered it, I've neglected it, I've given it the stink eye...all to (seemingly) no avail. Many times I've almost given up and pulled it out. I figured it was hopeless. Well, actually, I figured that the one on the other side of the fence (along with the fence itself) is hogging the sunlight. While I haven't pulled it yet, I admit that I'd pretty much considered it a lost cause.

Then on Friday, I went out and saw this! It bloomed!

For the first time ever, my poor little camellia produced a flower!

Wahoo!

You might be thinking, "So what's the big deal? It's a flower." And you're right, it is just a flower. But it's a flower that reminds me (us) of a very important lesson:

Some things just take time. And patience. And perseverance. And continued care during the waiting period.

I don't like any of that...I want things to be completed on my time table. I want things to be produced when I want them. Whether it's a goal I'm trying to attain, a prayer that I'm waiting on an answer for or a relationship that needs work...anything really...I tend to want quick answers and an immediate fix. I want things to be logical, orderly and predictable. Unfortunately, that isn't real life.

Will my camellia survive forever? Likely not. But this weekend, I am thankful for the reminder to be patient, to wait, and to persevere. Sometimes, just when you least expect it...you'll get a nice surprise.

The Very Very Ve-e-eeee-ry End

2011-11-19T08:55:00.000-08:00

The bus rolled into the school parking lot at 1am this morning; I was up until after 2am finishing John's laundry. In the wee hours of the morning, after a heart-breaking, playoff loss in El Centro, John's first Varsity season came to an end.

I could dazzle you with stats, stories, and coaches' comments about how wonderful John is; they would all be true. I could list all of the various injuries that he sustained this year; thankfully none of them were serious.

Instead, I want to share with you something that was given to John by his offensive line coach after his freshman season. It was written twenty years ago by a coach in New Jersey. I may have shared this before, but it's beautiful and it's absolutely true, so I want to share it today. There is no tribute more fitting:

Some come from the game with no scars, no pain -
We emerge with bloodied hands, and bones so sore that it takes a few hours the next morning before we can walk upright.

Some come from the game with pants still shiny, shirt barely dirty -
We are only faintly recognizable, as the mud and grass of trench warfare takes all the newness and shine from our uniforms and souls.

Some come from the game with impressive stats of yards rushing and passing -
We measure our progress in shorts bursts that no paper will ever keep track of, that no record book will ever immortalize.

Some come from the game with parents loudly bragging and fans cheering as names come over the P.A. system -
We deal in a world of brutal anonymity, silent except for the grunts of collision and the quick praise of our coaches.

Some come from the game with egos blazing, claps on the back, the sounds of the crowd in their head -
We measure our worth by the holes we open for players with smaller numbers; their brief nod is our only applause.

Some come from the game as prima donnas, barely working in the off season, giving lip service to the idea of self improvement -
We spend our time in the weight room, iron plates and shiny steel our friend, our enemy, our taskmaster.

Some come from the game with thoughts of I did this, or I did that -
We recognize that the parts build the greater good, that teamwork is not an outmoded concept in today's world.

Some come from the game thinking of us as swamp things in uniform, they joke about our speed, our hands, our seeming lack of grace -
We take the brunt of the jokes, even laugh along, as we take the brunt of the physical force aimed that them.

In our little world we stand. Our boundaries are the sleds and chutes. Our teachers are men who dwell in the dual world of detail and violence, who teach by a voice that can either wake the dead or gently ease two hours of pain.

This is our world.
It starts with us.
We are the line.

Today, I proudly honor my son and his brothers in the trenches. They fight together; they bleed together.
I honor two coaches who have daily given of their time to turn this ragged band of brothers into a group of men, working as one.
Rest well and heal; you've earned it.

2000

2011-11-18T09:58:00.000-08:00

I sure do love Flashback Fridays.

It's John's 4th birthday.
Clearly Matt thinks that he should be helping with the presents.

John had a party with his friends at McDonald's.
Looks like his helper is still with him!

We visited the flower fields in Carlsbad with my mom and my grandma.

I love this one!

Sigh. It was a good day.

Jammie time!

John's first baseball game. Go Padres!

John's first time on stage!
If I recall correctly, the VBS kids were singing some of their songs.

Pool Party!

"Life is like a box of chocolates..." At Bubba Gumps in Monterey.

Summer fun!
The two hats used to belong to my granddad;
my dad keeps them hanging in the garage
and the boys asked if they could wear them.

Someone wanted to go to Chevy's and get his own sombrero for his birthday.
When it came time to actually receive the sombrero,
he decided that the singing was way too loud
and that he didn't really want everyone looking at him.

He spent there rest of the evening sitting with my mom.
Someone had to wear the hat.

Back at Nate's!
Look at our arms in the top picture...
that's what happens when you let the kids
be in charge of the stamps in the straw maze.

The fireman and Thomas the Tank Engine are ready to Trick or Treat!

Merry Christmas!

Brought To You By...

2011-11-17T23:36:00.000-08:00

In case you were wondering, today has been sponsored by the word "LaGuardia."

I was emptying the dishwasher this morning while the kids were watching Fox News. (They watch every morning before school.) There was some story about LaGuardia, you know, the airport. I found myself giggling every time they said the word. It really is silly and fun. If you don't believe me, say it out loud right now. Go ahead. I'll wait.

See? Such a delightful word.

A few hours later, I was enjoying my Thursday morning treat: a vanilla latte (okay, that's not exclusive to Thursdays) and Law & Order SVU from Wednesday night. Imagine my surprise when one of the victims from this week's episode was a patient at LaGuardia Hospital in Queens! As it sipped my latte and knitted & purled my way through SVU (I'm working on a scarf), I smiled every time they said the name of the facility.

This brought me to a problem. Being reasonably new to knitting, I should probably know better than to try to knit and watch TV at the same time; especially a show that I'm trying to pay attention to. I didn't screw up the scarf, but by the end of the show, my ball of yarn had turned into a giant tangled mess. There was only one thing to be done: I had to sit there and painstakingly untangle everything. I flipped through some channels looking for something to keep me company while I finished and Presumed Innocent came on. Having never seen it, and generally loving all things Harrison Ford, I decided to give it a try. Seriously, I cracked up when they said one of the character's names: Nico Della Guardia.

Therefore, I submit that today was truly brought to you by the word "LaGuardia."

Music To A Mother's Ears

2011-11-16T07:49:00.000-08:00

The boys begin finals today; Trimester 1 ends on Friday.

I was talking to the boys about their grades the other day, just to make sure that everything is on track. I admit that I don't check Learning Point all that often since both of the boys generally do very well. Still, I thought I'd ask them. I didn't want to get any big surprises on their report cards.

John said that things are fine. One of his A's is a low A, but he thinks he'll be able to keep it there.

Matt said, "Hey Mom, I checked the grades in all of my classes today and my lowest grade is in 1st period; my average there is 100.66%."

Man, my kids sure do make parenting easy.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-11-15T16:36:00.000-08:00

I've been sitting here working at the computer all day so I've had Pandora on. My absolute favorite play list is my Bon Jovi play list. The reason being, well, Bon Jovi is hands down my all-time favorite band. So today you get a list of my top thirteen Bon Jovi songs. Sorry, limiting it to ten wasn't possible. Some of them you'll recognize; greatest hits become so for a reason. One or two may surprise you...

(listed not in order of ranking, but chronologically as they were released)

1. Wanted Dead or Alive. The quintessential Bon Jovi song; the one that everybody knows. It's a classic. I get to hear it all the time as it's one of Matt's favorite songs to play on the guitar. There's also a hysterical SNL sketch that refers to this song (and song #4).

2. Bad Medicine. This one was my favorite in high school and it's still near the top of the list. It's also the best song in concert.

3. I'll Be There For You. The first big ballad that I fell in love with. My favorite. Ever. Snuggling with my mister during the concert and singing it to him...priceless.

4. Blaze of Glory. Bon Jovi and Young Guns (II) combined? Nice.

5. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. Pure fun.

6. Bed of Roses. I was newly married when I first got into this song, so it brings back lots of good memories.

7. Always. Another fabulous ballad. Jon and Richie really do turn out some good ones.

8. It's My Life. Love this...reminds me to live life on my terms, not someone else's.

9. Have a Nice Day. This one, like the previous song, also is a reminder to live my own life. If you listen to the lyrics, it's not actually wishing anyone a truly nice day. I love it. This has been my ring tone on more than one occasion.

10. Who Says You Can't Go Home. I love that he (they) put out some country-ish stuff. Makes me think of my roots.

11. Make a Memory. Simply beautiful. I've made a memory or two to this song. Enough said.

12. When We Were Beautiful. As a grown-up, I love the perspective of this song.

13. We Weren't Born to Follow. A great anthem. We first heard this at Qualcomm Stadium and the kids were as excited as I was to learn that a new album was coming out. Good times!

I thoroughly enjoyed reliving all of these songs; music is so unbelievably powerful. Music moves me much more deeply than the spoken word, or anything really. I can't imagine life without it.

Talk Dirty To Me

2011-11-14T23:20:00.000-08:00

I got you, didn't I? You probably clicked today just to see what the heck I was referring to. Get your mind of the gutter...it's not what you think. (I apologize to my mother-in-law.)

My blog tonight is about Poison and Talk Dirty To Me was one of my favorite songs when it was released back in 1987. However, even THAT isn't the Poison that I'm referring to; I just couldn't resist the pun. I'm talking about perfume, people!

Back in the day (probably in or about 1987, actually), super smelly perfume was all the rage. Giorgio, Obsession, White Diamonds, and yes, Poison. Add hair spray and deodorant to the mix and at any given time there were at least three layers of vapors hovering in my room.

Tonight, I was in a pub with some friends and I had to use the little girls' room. I excused myself from the table, dodged the pool cues that threatened to impale me, and headed past the kegs and into the bathroom. I opened the door and whoosh! I was greeted by a rush of Poison! Seriously, it was like stepping back in time to my seventh grade bedroom.

Someone must have taken a bath in it. (Which is probably what my mom thought I used to do.) I totally had to hold my breath while I was in there or my asthma would have kicked in. But as I was walking out, I stopped and inhaled just for a second or two. It's amazing how something as simple as a smell can completely take you back in time. For a few wonderful moments, I felt like the weight of life was lifted and I was a kid again. It made me smile.

The sense of smell is a powerful thing. Thank you, overly-perfumed woman at the pub...you made my night.

And I may or may not have been humming a few bars of Every Rose Has It's Thorn as I made my way back to the table...

"Every Story Needs A Memorable Detail."

2011-11-13T23:08:00.000-08:00

Tonight's title is a quote from my Sunday night treat.

Several weeks ago, ABC premiered a new show on Sunday nights called Once Upon A Time. We happened upon it by accident while spending the evening with my parents and Curt & Kathy; we were at the Lawrence Welk Resort, Sunday Night Football was over, and we needed something to watch while ate pie.

It's the greatest little show to premiere in a long time! There's this town in Maine called Storybrook and all (most) of the people who live there are actually people from fairy tales but they were cursed to live in a new time and they don't know their real identities (fairy tale characters). You spend part of the show in Storybrook, where a little boy knows the truth is trying to get people to remember who they really are and break the curse. The rest of the time is spent back in fairy tale land, learning everyone's histories and what happened to them before the curse.

It truly is great! Even the boys like it! We all sit down together every Sunday night and tune in. I think it's the first time we've ever watched a (non-kid) prime time show together. Sunday nights are my new favorite.

Tonight's story brought me to a realization: I think that glass slippers are dumb. It's one thing to see them in a cartoon, but it just doesn't work when real people are involved. Shoes are cute; feet aren't. And face it, if your slippers are made of glass, all you see is feet. Who wants to look at feet that much? Wouldn't a super adorable pair of shoes compliment the outfit much better?

I think so. Cinderella doesn't seem to agree with me.

Another Long Goodbye

2011-11-12T17:21:00.000-08:00

Some of you may recall that my grandma died a few years back after a long battle with Vascular Dementia. For those of you not familiar with it, the disease presents itself much the same as Alzheimer's. It's pretty much the worst thing ever; it's heart-wrenching, it's cruel and it's unfair. I lost both of my grandfathers to cancer and while that was awful, diseases of the mind are infinitely worse.

No one can prepare you for the first time that your loved one looks at you, after spending a lifetime together, and you can see that they have no recollection of who you are. Every holiday, every birthday, every memory shared...gone. There aren't words to accurately describe the pain. In the book that she wrote about losing her father, Patti Davis describes it this way: "Alzheimer’s snips away at the threads, a slow unraveling, a steady retreat; as a witness all you can do is watch, cry, and whisper a soft stream of goodbyes."

As we healed and recovered from the loss of Grandma, I prayed. I prayed a lot. I had long conversations with God and I pleaded that when it was time for the rest of us to be taken, both on my side of the family as well as Andy's, that it wouldn't have to happen that way. I asked that somehow, our loved ones would be mercifully taken home quickly and without pain.

My world was rocked on May 12th of this year. Exactly six months ago today, words that I had no idea were coming, and that I never expected to hear, were delivered in my living room. I'll never forget the sound of my dad's voice as he said, "You mom has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's."

"Why?" "How can this be?" "She is so young!" "She is only 62 years old!" "Are they sure?" "It can't be right!" "I (we) can't do this again!" All of these things, and many, many more, came out of my mouth that night. The days and weeks that followed were a blur of feelings: disbelief, anger, bitterness, fear...you name it, I felt it. I was angry at God. I kept asking, "Why this? Wasn't this the one thing that I asked not to have happen?" "Weren't you listening?!?" I was very, very angry.

I'm over the anger now; I've settled into acceptance. I thought about writing my feelings down as I was processing over the last few months, but I honestly couldn't put things into words; it wasn't the right time. I've been reflecting on it for a while now, I've been thinking that I'm ready. Realizing that today is the six month mark solidified that today was the day.

As for my mom, thankfully she is doing well. She seems to have a good team of doctors working with her, she's started a medication that will hopefully slow down the progression of the disease, and at last visit they were pleased with the (lack of) progression. All we can do is wait. We could have one good year left with her, we could have fifteen. I'm praying for the latter.

Gandalf said it best, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

I choose family time, creating memories, and making the most out of every time that we're together. And I pray daily that this goodbye won't come for a long, long time.

1999

2011-11-11T08:44:00.000-08:00

Pictures galore from 1999.

Our fourth anniversary

Someone is turning three and has a Bob the Tomato shirt!

Thomas Track! The boys absolutely loved making Thomas layouts and my parents were great sports. All of the track stayed at their house and sometimes my folks let the kids leave layouts out for weeks at a time. Even the dogs learned to walk around/over them!

They saved every Thomas catalog and John would spend hours looking at them and picking out what he wanted.

One of my all-time favorites. The picture, I mean.
The person IS my all-time favorite.

The Del Mar Fair

All dressed up for Aunt Anna's wedding! Unfortunately, by the time the wedding started it was nap time and a certain almost-two-year-old had a meltdown and wouldn't walk down the aisle. Andy had to carry him and he's crying in all of the pictures. Oh well. Kids!

This has always looked very Rockwell-esque to me.

Luau time!

The two year old is in birthday heaven...
Thomas track AND a Little People Garage!

The big boys enjoying the party.

My buddy and I made a few cakes for a baby shower....

...see how awesome they were!

We also made a cake of our friend!

Desitin is insanely hard to get off of faces, in case you were wondering.

Lamp shades make fabulous hats!

Trick or Treat! Its' Captain Hook and Peter Pan!

"Hurry up, Mommy! It's our turn!"

My Conundrum

2011-11-10T11:22:00.001-08:00

I'm currently reading A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin*.

This is a noteworthy fact for two reasons. First, I never read anything of this genre. Fantasy, Dragons...not my thing at all. Second, I know how it ends. HBO made a series out of the first book this past spring and we watched it. We loved it and Andy promptly read the series; there are five books currently, but I hear that there are more coming. He convinced me that while this isn't typically my style and I already knew the plot, that I'd enjoy it and I should give it a try.

He was right; I'm really liking it. This, however, leads me to my dilemma:

When I'm done with book one, what do I do? HBO is planning on a season two, based on the second book, due out after the first of the year. Do I go ahead and read the book, leaving nothing to surprise me on a show that I absolutely loved? Or do I wait, watch the show first, and then hope I enjoy the second book even though I'll know what's coming?

See?!?!? This is why I make it a habit never to read the book if I've seen the movie, or vice versa! I'm in such a pickle!

*I feel compelled to clarify that I purchased the book with the original cover on it, not the one shown with Boromir on it. It took great restraint, but I felt that it was the right thing to do.

This is the End, Part 1

2011-11-09T23:22:00.000-08:00

He did it...

...he made it...

...it was quite an accomplishment...

...he finished freshman football!

Having never played before, I don't think Matt really understood what he was getting himself into when he signed up last June. It rocked his world. This was bound to be an adjustment even without football - he was making the switch from home schooling to public school. Adding football just made his days insane.

He left at 7:30am each morning and he got home 7pm each evening. He ate quickly and then had at least several hours of homework. After a quick night's sleep, he woke up and started all over. Every single day. It was a gruelling schedule, even for someone who loves the sport. For someone like him, who isn't quite sure that football is the thing for him and being a kid who really needs down time, it has been a difficult few months.

But he made it.

He was a starting defensive end all season and he saw a few plays as the back-up fullback. He played so well, his coaches love him....I couldn't be more proud!

Thankfully, he didn't get any injuries that are too serious. He jacked up his thumb pretty bad in practice before the season started so that continues to bother him. The trainer has been taping it every day, all season long, to give it stability. Hopefully now it'll finally get a chance to heal. He's been fighting a sore shoulder and a sore quad; both should settle down now. Considering how bad football can get, I'm very thankful.

#43
2011 Del Norte High School
Freshman Football
Finished 7 and 3

Go Nighthawks!

Ten on Tuesday

2011-11-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

Today, I bring you a list of the ten household items that I have the most difficulty keeping stocked. With two teenagers in the house, we go through certain items very quickly. It seems like I'm constantly at the store. Enjoy!

1. Gatorade. I buy it by the case.

2. White Socks. This is especially true during football season; no amount of bleach can get all of the dirt out.

3. Mouthwash. At least they care about oral hygiene.

4. Bath Soap. Again, at least they're clean. On any given day, our shower is used approximately six times. The bars of soap disappear rather fast.

5. Gum. Thankfully, a certain someone hooks the kids up with a giant box of gum every Christmas. They love it!

6. Laundry Detergent. We go through gallons and gallons...

7. Ziploc Bags. Lunches, snacks, flash cards..you name it and they put it in a Ziploc bag.

8. Camera Batteries. Granted, they're rechargeable, but I'm always needing to recharge them.

9. Toilet Paper. Thank goodness for Costco.

10. Milk. We average 1.5 gallons per week day, and we can get up to 2 gallons a day on the weekend if we're home a lot. My boys love milk.

(Side note: For those keeping count, I succeeded in my no dessert quest yesterday. One day down, six to go!)

Got To Let It Go

2011-11-07T10:01:00.001-08:00

(Did anyone catch the old-school Amy Grant reference in my title? That's about all the creativity I can muster on a Monday morning.)

This coming Saturday is a day that I've been both greatly looking forward to AND dreading. It's annual family photo day. I'm looking forward to it (rain, stay away!) because it always turns into a super fun evening with our photographer and her family, and she always does an amazing job! I dread it because, as you can see from the photo in a previous post, I'm not anywhere near my ideal weight. I've even toyed with the idea of only having pictures of the kids done this year.

Each year I tell myself that I'm going to lose weight and each year I don't. I could tell you that it's because I'm busy with all of my volunteer organizations or that my back hurts so exercising is hard...really I could list any number of excuses. However, that's all that they would be, excuses. I need to find a way to exercise more and eat less. Calories in must be less than calories expended. It's math that even I'm capable of doing.

Please don't misunderstand my intent in blogging this; this isn't a sneaky way of soliciting a bunch of people to say, "Oh, you look fine!" My reason for posting this is so that I have some accountability. It's fully within my power to start making some positive changes, and I think that by posting here, I just might be able to succeed. Maybe.

I spent some time last night thinking about exactly what I plan on doing. It's not realistic for me to declare myself to be on a diet and promise to start consuming only 1,200 calories a day. I need to set realistic goals. Therefore, I have decided that beginning today, for one week I won't be having any dessert-ish items. Now, you might think, "No dessert for a week? That's it?" However, that's kind of a big deal for me. We have TONS of crap in the house. As I sit here typing, I'm actually looking at a partial roll of Oreos that I brought upstairs a few nights ago. There are many candy pumpkins in the candy jar, there are more Oreos in the cabinet and there is a donut left from Peterson's sitting on the counter. I'm not kidding, there's stuff everywhere.

So, for one week, I'm not going to have any of it. Creating new habits will take a while, but I have to start somewhere. I'm not giving up all sugar; I need my vanilla lattes in the morning. But cookies/candies/cakes...I'm giving them up for a week.

Eek. We'll see how this goes. I might be really cranky in a day or so!

Candy Eating 101

2011-11-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

Today I would like to talk about what is, in my opinion, the proper way to eat Skittles.

I submit that Skittles should be separated by color,
and then each color should be eaten individually.

Last night our family had occasion to consume multiple snack-sized packages of Skittles and I watched over and over as both of the boys, along with Andy, would tear open the back and throw all of them into their mouth at the same time. This is wrong. Very wrong. It's not a problem that is exclusive to the snack packs, either. I've witnessed my kids reach their hands into the candy dish full of Skittles and grab a whole handful and without care or thought, eat all of them at once. Shameful.

If you eat them all at the same time, all you get to taste is a sugary blob. Sure, you might be able to detect trace flavors of something once resembling fruit, but unless you have an extremely discerning palate, you can't make out each flavor. You are truly missing out.

On the other hand, if you separate the colors and eat them individually, you can taste and enjoy each of the fruity flavors! Strawberry, Orange, Lemon, Green (yes, I just call it Green), and Grape. Perfect. One can choose one's own preferred order, mine is O, G, L, P, S. What matters is that each flavor gets it's due. Each is a tiny, juicy work of art in it's own right.

Does it surprise you that I have an order for something like this? It shouldn't. Heck, I even feel that there is a proper way to eat layer cake...but that is another blog entirely.

Just Another Day At The Office

2011-11-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

We've all done it; we've all been miserable in some way, shape or form for our kids. Yesterday it was my turn.

John played (football) in Valley Center last night. Holy cow! It was awful! The temperature was in the mid 40's, and it poured when we got there so we were soaked to the bone. Thankfully, after a while the heavy rain stopped and it just showered off and on for the rest of the evening.

Andy snapped a picture of me during one of the breaks...I had four layers on and still couldn't get warm. It was hours before I could feel my toes. Seriously.

I've done many-a-thing for my kiddos; I'm sure you've done the same for yours. Games in bitterly cold weather, games in blistering heat, sitting up all night with a sick one, a midnight run to CVS to pick up supplies for that project that they forgot was due tomorrow...oh, and with the holidays coming, we're approaching another one - staying up late baking and cooking long after everyone else is in bed. It's all part of this crazy job called Motherhood.

And you know something? I wouldn't trade it for the world.

1998

2011-11-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

Do you know what day it is?
It's Flashback Friday, of course!
I'm picking up where I left off last year, so today brings us to 1998.

Ha! This was fun. I left John watching TV while I went to take a shower. Somehow, he got his leg stuck in the sofa bed mechanism. I couldn't pull him out without pulling his leg off and Andy was in class at the time so I had to call 911. The nice firemen came, and as you can see, they had to lift up the couch and dislodge him from underneath. Lovely.

There was a 7-Eleven right down the street from our apartment.
We bought a lot of Slurpees.

Story time with Grandma!

Apparently we went to Chevy's.

John got a guitar for his second birthday...

...guess who spent the whole time playing with it?

Such cuteness!

This isn't the greatest picture of anyone, but it's the last photo that I have of my grandparents with the boys.

Uncle Dave is probably pointing out which animals are conservatives and which ones are liberals.

Someone is one year old!

Goodbye, Granddad. We'll miss you forever.

Bate's Nut Farm. Or Nate's Butt Farm. Either way.

Trick or Treat!

This is one of my all-time favorites. About an hour after we arrived at Disneyland, Matt started running a fever. Since we'd just spent a ton of money to get in, we decided to see if he could tough it out. He was pretty miserable and we were about to call it quits when he found this leaf. He picked it up, put his head on my shoulder, and immediately went to sleep. While he was pretty sick, we made it through the day. He never let go of the leaf. He held it all day long, including all the way home. The next morning, he started antibiotics since both of his ears were infected. Poor kid.

Realization

2011-11-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

I've seen this bumper sticker many times; I'm sure you have too. It never really sits well with me. I'm always a little uneasy about it and something bristles inside when I see it, but I've never tried to articulate what it is that I'm feeling. I'm generally in favor of living peaceably with others, but for some reason this one bothers me.

I finally figured it out. Well...with a little help from another bumper sticker.

Yep.

Never Stop Learning

2011-11-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

Today was just your run-of-the-mill Wednesday; nothing huge happened. I did manage to learn a few things though....

1. I can now tell the difference between a Black Widow egg sac and a Brown Widow egg sac. As I worked to regain control of the back yard, I encountered plenty of both. They were all destroyed, regardless of species, but I found it satisfying to know which I was vanquishing at any given moment.

2. If you ever find yourself in Philly during a time of prohibition, don't double cross the butcher. Trust me on this one.

3. I only like about every fourth song on the Pop Hits (Music Choice) station. I should probably stick to Retro Rock and the 80's.

Here's hoping for a more interesting day tomorrow. :-)

Words To Live By

2011-11-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

Hello! Welcome!

Apparently, as evidenced by the post that you're reading, I've decided to take another stab at NaBloPoMo. In looking back at previous years' posts, I realized that I successfully do this in even numbered years. This being 2011, I shouldn't make any guarantees. However, if you have nothing else to do, and you don't mind hearing stories about my family most of the time, I invite you to join me each day as I diligently work to get something written.

On the off chance that you find yourself with me for the first time, I should probably introduce you to my immediate family; I promise that they'll be referred to often. Andy is my fabulous husband, John is my fifteen year old Junior, and Matthew is my fourteen year old Freshman. There. Now you know everyone.

Today I want to share some advice regarding Halloween. I know that there are 364 days until it rolls around again, but this was imparted to me yesterday and I want to pass it on before I forget.

As we were eating dinner last night, we were discussing that many of the kids who were trick-or-treating seemed too old to be knocking on doors and begging for free candy. John said that one of his teachers had shared his thoughts on that very subject during class that afternoon.

According to Mr. X., there are three questions for a boy to ask himself when trying to decide whether or not to go trick-or-treating:

1. Are you still waiting for your voice to change?

2. Are you unable to drive yourself to the store to buy candy?

3. Do girls have cooties?

If you answered "yes" to all three questions, then it is appropriate for you to dress up and go from door to door. If you answered "no" to even one of them, you're too old.

Brilliant.

Ten on Tuesday, Sort Of

2010-11-30T16:37:00.000-08:00

Since I'm kind of on a roll with lists this year, and it is Tuesday, I am bringing you a list of my top eleven Christmas movies. Yes, you read that right; it's a list of eleven. I tried and tried, but I couldn't get the list down to ten. Each movie on this list loved; I couldn't leave one off. You may want to get a cup of coffee or something...this could take awhile.

Typically I don't place the items in a particular order but today I actually am; I'm going to count down to my favorite Christmas movie of all time. No fair scrolling to the end and peeking...you've got to start with #11!

11. Babes in Toyland a.k.a March of the Wooden Soldiers (1934). I'm a huge Laurel and Hardy fan; this movie delights me. Matt is trying to tell me that it's not a Christmas movie; maybe he's right. However, Santa is in the movie and the heroes at the end are his Wooden Soldiers. That makes it Christmas enough for me. It's not Stan and Ollie's best work but I love it anyway.

10. Christmas Eve On Sesame Street (1978). Long before Elmo and countless other annoying Muppets, Big Bird was worried about how Santa was going to fit down the chimney. Bert and Ernie were exchanging gifts, Cookie Monster was trying hard to get a letter written to Santa and Bob was reminding us to keep Christmas with us all through the year. I can't remember a year when I haven't watched this at Christmastime.

9. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989). Poor Clark. All he wants is a "fun old-fashioned family Christmas" and properly working Christmas lights.

8. Elf (2003). This one ties for newest movie on the list but from the first time that I watched it with my buddies, I knew that it was going to be a classic.

7. Love Actually (2003). This is the other newbie on the list; I adore it! It's a fabulous ensemble piece. (*Disclaimer: this movie has a few extremely racy parts, watch at your own risk.)

6. A Christmas Story (1983). We have a miniature leg lamp in our living room. Need I say more?

5. Going My Way (1944). It's hard to go wrong with Bing, but the biggest reason that I love this one is that Barry Fitzgerald reminds me so much of my Granddad. SO much.

4. Holiday Inn (1942). "Oh, Linda Mason." Love it! But do I prefer the singing or the dancing? Ack! A question for the ages!

3. Mixed Nuts (1994). Words cannot express the genius of this movie. It's hysterical and brilliant and touching and perfect! I have a date to watch it with some people that I love this year; I'm beyond excited!

2. White Christmas (1954). Bing's classic. My #2 and John's favorite; we watch it together every year and that makes it even more wonderful. He brought it up the other day; he asked if I'd save this one for Christmas break so that he can watch it with me. Happiness.

And my all time, favorite Christmas movie....

1. It's A Wonderful Life (1946). I don't need to explain it; whether you love it or not, you certainly know it. It never, ever gets old. It's the last Christmas movie that I watch each year; I watch it on December 24th. I will love it forever. Once I've watched this movie and listened to my favorite Christmas song (ha..now you'll wonder), I'm ready for Christmas.

This brings to a close my contribution to NaBloPoMo for 2010. Thank you for spending some time with me this month. I really do enjoy taking the time to write and I appreciate your comments and feedback.

As November comes to a close and December arrives, I wish you all the very best this Christmas season. Enjoy the cooler weather, have fun decorating and baking and going to parties, spend time with those dear to you. But most of all, remember our Savior. He came into this world so that he could take on our sin. Yours and mine. He bridged the gap between us and our Heavenly Father so that one day we can spend eternity with Him. Christ is Christmas.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Options

2010-11-29T17:17:00.000-08:00

This morning I had a new experience. For the first time ever, I completed an online traffic school course. Perceptive readers may recall that I got a ticket earlier this month and apparently I'm eligible to have my record expunged.

As I sat at my desk late last night looking at the list of traffic school options, some of them made me laugh...

1. "Aztec Traffic School." This could go one of two ways; I could either have to prove my heritage or attend SDSU. I'm a season ticket holder, does that get me close enough?

2. "I'll Never Speed Again Traffic School." School for liars?

3. "Advantage Traffic School." Claiming to give/have an advantage is kind of a big deal. I'd like to know exactly what the advantage is before I would select this one.

4. "Traffic Treats." Many things come to my mind; I wonder what they have in theirs.

5. "Pizza For You." Is there a place on the registration form to indicate my preferred kind of pizza? Will it be homemade? Pizza Hut? Domino's? These things make a difference.

6. "Gay Traffic School." Seriously? Will it make me gay? This one's just stupid; they don't need their own traffic school. I don't see a Straight Traffic School on the list. Sheesh...

7. "Liberty Traffic Violator School." This makes me feel like a hardened criminal; all I did was go 10mph over the speed limit. It wasn't even in a school zone!

8. "Great Comedians Traffic School." One man's great comedian is another man's least favorite comedian. This one's too subjective.

9. "Universal Traffic School." This one sounds overwhelming; will I have to learn the traffic laws for every country???

10. "Laff For Less Traffic School." These people can't even spell! I'm supposed to have confidence that they'll give me a proper education and a correctly filled-out certificate at the end? I don't think so!

In the end, I went with San Diego Online Traffic School; it was recommended by a friend. It was reasonably cheap, it didn't take me very long and my certificate is already on it's way. I'm glad it's done. Now I know that having a blow out in your back tires will cause you to fishtail; I don't think I knew that before. At least I learned something.

Back To Reality

2010-11-28T21:07:00.000-08:00

"Halloween is over and I missed it!"

Actually, I'm not talking about Halloween and I didn't really miss anything. I should more accurately say, "Thanksgiving Break is over and it went by too quickly!"

It's been so wonderful having John home for a week. No homework, no football, no lifting...just a week of fun, games, movies and relaxation. I think I took for granted our years of home schooling when the kids were around all the time and we had family time up the wazoo. In fact, I probably got tired of it! But now that we're past it, I'd do anything to have some of those times back. With John smack in the middle of high school and all that it entails (homework, sports, friends, activities, etc.), and Matthew playing baseball three to four nights a week, we just don't have family time anymore. Looking ahead to this week, it will be six nights until we're all home together again.

I know that this is a season of life; and I really do love seeing the young men that my boys are becoming. It's just that the reality of our new stage is hitting me hard these days. No one will ever again call me Mommy. The kids may want me around from time to time but they don't need me; they're self-sufficient. Pretty soon we're going to add girls into the picture. It's new and strange and I don't always like it.

So this year, I think I am extra thankful for the time that we had together over the Thanksgiving break. I cherished every minute of it. If you have older children, you know what I mean. If you have little ones, even though they may drive you nuts, enjoy every second; it passes so quickly.

School starts up again tomorrow; Matt has a lot of work to do and John is starting his second trimester so he'll have a whole new set of classes and teachers. December will be upon us in a few days and while we'll be celebrating the joyfulness of the season, it'll be easy to get caught up in the craziness that tends to invade our lives this time of year. I'm going to try not to; I'm really going to try to stay focused in the moment.

However, I do admit that a part of me is already looking forward to the Christmas break. I'll be keeping an eye out for ways to make the most of every precious minute of fun time that I have with my fellas!

I'm Not Generally A Copycat

2010-11-27T23:03:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, a friend of mine dedicated a post to some of her favorite movie and TV quotes. Some of us had a lot of fun guessing what they were from and I thought at the time that it might be fun to assemble my own list. Since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and since I've watched an insane number of movies with the kids this week (gotta love school break!), I thought that tonight would be a good night to do it.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from some of my very favorite movies. Think you can figure them out? Some should be obvious; some might be more difficult. And no fair cheating and using Google!

Good Luck!

1. "Well, that certainly illustrates the diversity of the word. "

2. "Has anything you've done made your life better?"

3. "My friend here's trying to convince me that any independent contractors who were working on the uncompleted Death Star were innocent victims when it was destroyed by the Rebels. "

4. "Locked, from the inside. That can only mean one thing. And I don't know what it is. "

5. "Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker."

6. "The hell you will. He's got a two day head start on you, which is more than he needs. Brody's got friends in every town and village from here to the Sudan, he speaks a dozen languages, knows every local custom, he'll blend in, disappear, you'll never see him again. With any luck, he's got the grail already."

7. "Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government."

8. "It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything. "

9. "It appears my hypocrisy knows no bounds. "

10. "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

Happy quote hunting!

And So It Begins

2010-11-26T23:29:00.001-08:00

Day two of our Thanksgiving celebration was a huge success! The food was delicious and we're stuffed full of pie and candy. Decorations have been put out and we watched four entire football games today; it was perfect!

The kids have gone to bed and the house is now perfectly quiet. As my Mister and I sit here enjoying the soft glow of electric sex, we officially welcome the Christmas season. Hope it's magical!

Thanksgiving, Day One

2010-11-25T22:56:00.000-08:00

Well, Day One of Thanksgiving was a success! We had a wonderful day with Andy's family; tomorrow we get to do it again with my folks. It really is the best way to do it, rather than trying to run back and forth and do it all in one day.

Since I'm sitting here waiting for tomorrow's pies to finish cooking, I thought I'd share some random thoughts from today...

1. Aunt Lissa's chocolate trifle was amazing. I think I need to have it again when I'm not so stuffed.

2. "Celebrate Me Home" by Kenny Loggins belongs on my least favorite Christmas songs list. Seriously.

3. Apparently taco shops and Mexican markets remain open on Thanksgiving. It's a good piece of information to have; you never know when you're going to need some carne asada or a bean and cheese burrito.

4. I need a golden retriever.

5. I just got my first burn on of the season; pesky oven.

6. Here's what Matt consumed today: half of a frappucino, several sodas and some peppermint bark. I'm not kidding; that's it. I know he's not feeling well but really...it's Thanksgiving!!!

7. The post-meal nap is even more pleasant when one is under the influence of muscle relaxants.

8. The word relaxants just made me giggle because I read it as relax ants. I might say that next time I see a bunch of ants scurrying around. (Maybe I need to get some sleep...)

9. Michelle Obama can kiss my grits. I had pie today, I'm going to have some tomorrow and I'll probably even have some on Saturday. Can't she go cross stitch a picture or something for the eventual Presidential Library and keep her nose out of people's business? Sheesh.

10. First kid on the block to have my Christmas lights up, baby! We're that awesome!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Happiness

2010-11-24T23:16:00.001-08:00

Today was a fine day; it contained all of the usual pre-holiday stuff. I cleaned the house. The kids and I rearranged the downstairs so that it is ready to receive the Christmas tree on Saturday. Some movies were returned and I did some shopping at Michael's. The fudge, peppermint bark and chocolate/almond candy is made and ready to go tomorrow. All in all, a pretty run of the mill day before Thanksgiving.

Two things delighted me today. Since it's late and I have to post before midnight, and since just telling you about my day doesn't seem like enough, I'll share my happiness with you.

#1. We were out this evening (all four of us) and we spent about 20 minutes in the car quoting The Emperor's New Groove. Everyone was quoting their favorite lines; one would lead to another. We were doing the voices and playing out whole scenes. There was much laughter.

#2. Matthew made the following statement: "I don't know how efficient James Bond is but when John and I are James Bond, we're very efficient. Until we get killed by the auto-turrets."

I love my family.

Ten on Tuesday

2010-11-23T08:25:00.000-08:00

For today's Ten on Tuesday, I have decided to post some quirky facts about myself. After reviewing the list, I'm afraid that you'll think I'm certifiable. Oh well, it's me. In no particular order, I present this week's list:

1. I don't like birds with my snowmen. At this time of year, this always rears it's head. I like snowman decorations and whatnot, but if there's a bird with the snowman I won't even consider it.

2. I really dig the low note at the end of "I'm Not That Girl." (Wicked) I often sing the last line just for the fun of that low note.

3. I'm quite picky about what I eat with my fingers. Burgers, dogs and fries? I'll pick those up. Clearly I'll pick up chips. But bread sticks, pizza, burritos...I cut them and use a fork.

4. Speaking of food; I always look at menus online before I go to a new restaurant. I hate going into a restaurant "blind" and not knowing what they have. I almost always decide beforehand.

5. I don't like to smell people. If someone is about to walk (closely) past me, I always hold my breath.

6. I can't floss without looking in the mirror. Well, technically I probably could, but I don't. I always stand in front of the mirror and do it.

7. Many of you know this; I hate to get wet. Getting into the shower every day is quite an unpleasant chore. I'm a total nut about being clean, so I do shower daily, sometime twice. But I never really enjoy the process.

8. I'm totally into Pik-Nik Shoestring Potatoes. They taste like In-n-Out fries. One of these days I'm going to bring some spread home and put it on the shoestrings.

9. I'm still not use to this whole "my kids are growing up" thing. I'm about to take one to his friend's house for the day and then I'll drop the other one off at the theater with his buddies. You'd think that I'd be excited to have a few hours to myself. Nope. I stress and I worry and I totally don't enjoy my time. Insane, I know.

And finally, the one that makes my youngest shake his head at me...

10. I don't wear hats. Not because I want the sun in my face, but because if I wear a hat, I get (wait for it....) claustrophobic. There's something about looking up and seeing a hat that totally freaks me out. It might as well be a ceiling, and then it's the Sears Tower all over again!

And there you have it; proof that I'm a total nut case.

Just A Little Decorating

2010-11-22T21:28:00.000-08:00

I didn't intend to put up the Christmas decorations out back.

Here's what happened...

A few weeks ago, I purchased some nifty little solar-powered Christmas lights to string along the fence on the side of the house. I was planning to put them up on Thursday when I do the outdoor decorations out front. Knowing myself and admitting that I'd be super disappointed if they didn't work, I decided to throw them up today. You know, just to test them. Armed with cup hooks and zip ties, I successfully strung them and mounted the solar-thingy so that it can charge.

Once I got that done, I decided to put the rest of the stuff out there so that I don't have to mess with it later. I have these little lighted Christmas trees that I use (thanks Ruth and Barbara!), and this year I added some LED branch things (they're like these but multi-colored). I was hoping that it would look like a magical Christmas wonderland in between my rose bushes.

Also, just to clarify...other than a quick test,
I won't be turning them on until Friday.
I might even keep the blinds closed so that I can't see them.
You know, there are rules to follow...

I Feel It In My Fingers, I Feel It In My....Toes

2010-11-21T12:47:00.000-08:00

Clearly KYXY (a local radio station) isn't paying attention t0 my blog. Last night when I turned the radio on, they were playing....Christmas music! Instantly, several thoughts raced through my head. The first was, "Hey, it's too early." Closely following was, "Yay, Christmas music!" The thought that won was, "Ick. I really hate this song."

As I hurried to find another station, I started thinking about Christmas music. It's a terribly personal thing; one person's favorite could quite easily be another's least favorite. Last year, I shared with you my ten favorite albums, maybe this year I'll do a Ten on Tuesday of my favorite songs. Wow, that would be difficult; so many to choose from!

Today, in honor of the song that I caught a few bars of last night, I thought I'd share with you some of my least favorite songs. You can call it a Six on Sunday. But you don't have to. If you'd prefer, you can just call it a list of my least favorite Christmas songs.

1. "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey. I don't like her in general, but for some reason hearing her sing this song drives me nuts. It's very overplayed.

2. "Silent Night" by Stevie Nicks. It sounds like she's gargling.

3. "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" by Enya. It puts me to sleep. This song is supposed to be happy and jolly; in Enya's version there is none of that. I sounds like, well, any other Enya song.

4. "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. This one isn't awful but I feel that it deserves honorable mention due to Yoko's warbling in the background. If she were left out of it, I'd really like this song. As it is, I find myself listening to the first half and then turning it off.

5. "Christmas at KYXY." This song is actually "Christmas in Dixie" by Alabama. While it's totally a cheese-ball country song, it's not awful for what it is. The problem is that a few years back, some one at KYXY decided to change the lyrics so every time it says Christmas in Dixie, it says Christmas at KYXY (pronounced kicksie). Ridiculous.

6. Finally, the one that started this train of thought, the one that I heard last night....."Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney. As one online writer said when reviewing this song, "Look, kids -- Daddy got a new synthesizer for Christmas!" Yep, he nailed it. I really, really can't stand it.

So there you have it; six Christmas songs that drive me batty. I left hymns/carols out; there are a few bad eggs in that category as well. How about you? Is there a Christmas song that you always hope will disappear before the holidays roll around again? I'm curious...

Appropriate Attire

2010-11-20T14:22:00.000-08:00

This morning at the gas station, I overheard the guy at the next pump say to his kids as they got out of the car, "You can probably finish that (book) by the time we get to Disneyland."

Being the nosy person that I am, I tried to get a look at the family that was about to spend their day at the Happiest (Merriest) Place on Earth. There was nothing about the kids that stood out but the dad clearly wasn't dressed for Disneyland. He had on a button up shirt, casual slacks and loafers. It made me wonder...was he planning on going dressed like that? I assumed so; it wouldn't make sense to go back home and change (it was 7am). And he did say "we" which clearly implied that he was going. I just couldn't imagine him dressing like that for a day at the Magic Kingdom.

Or could I? The more I thought about it, I realized it that over the years I've been continually perplexed at the things that people wear for their day of amusement. Dresses, heels, full on hair and make-up done, slacks, Uggs (I'd never wear mine there, don't want them to get dirty!), flip-flops (no support!); I've seen it all.

It always makes me shake my head. When I'm planning to spend a day with Mickey, I always think much more practically; the comfiest jeans, good sneakers, hair up in a pony tail and no make up. Face it, even if I did spend a lot of time getting ready, I'd be all disheveled by lunchtime anyway.

What about you? Do you dress up? Are you casual? Somewhere in-between? Maybe I'm in the minority and I should take getting ready for Disneyland a little more seriously. Something for me to think about when AC takes me in a few weeks (hint, hint, babe!).

1997

2010-11-19T07:17:00.000-08:00

Today's flashback finds us in 1997. (I assume that you gathered that from the title of the post.) The year started out quite exciting. On January 1, 1997, I found myself the happy wife of one Mr. Coffman and the proud mama to an adorable, almost nine month old John. I also found myself pregnant. Turns out, I hadn't had the flu all through November and December of '96; go figure. It all seemed to click on New Year's morning. I drove around and finally found a place that was open, I bought and test and voila...our lives were about to get a little more interesting.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. I couldn't narrow them down so you get a lot. I have a feeling that Fridays are going to be like that for a while...

John received this playhouse as a Christmas gift; it was his favorite!

He also really liked his little scooter. We pushed him all over in that thing.

In February, I turned twenty-two. Lovely maternity blouse...

How can you not love this?!?

Learning to walk...

My mister and I were both in our friends' wedding. Thankfully, there was enough material to turn my bridesmaid dress into a maternity version.
I came close to having to wear a tablecloth.
But that's another story.

In April, John turned one. He had to take a milk break after all that cake!

More cuteness!

Playing in the dirt at Grandma's house... it doesn't get much better!

Fish Lips!

My buddy threw a baby shower for me.

Almost time...

This was taken at 5:15am on August 3rd.
I was in labor and we were stopping at my mom and dad's house
to drop John off on the way to the hospital.
I had no idea that in less than an hour, it'd all be over.

A contraction...probably time to stop taking pictures and hit the road.

At 6:10am, Matthew arrived. I can't get over the sweetness!
Look at that face!!!

Guy time.

Melts my heart...

John's crooked hair cut doesn't bother me, nor do Matt's pants that aren't pulled down. What has always irritated me about this picture is how unhappy Santa appears to be. Would it have killed him to smile?

First night in a big boy bed!

This has always been one of my favorite pictures.
Welcome to our world, Matt. You completed our family.

Play Like A Champion Today

2010-11-18T08:51:00.001-08:00

As I mentioned a few days ago, John's football season has come to an end. What a great time he had! He was the starting left tackle this year and he loved every single minute of it.

Here are a couple of pictures from the season...

We opened the season with a win against Rancho Bernardo High School.

Road wins are nice too! Love that smile.

The week that his team (JV) had a bye, John was pulled up to Varsity. He alternated drives with their left tackle and was a part of the first Varsity win in school history. What a night!

The football players in my life.

Last night we attended the JV banquet. We had a great dinner, watched some highlight films and listened to the coaches as each of them shared about their players. All of the coaches this year were wonderful, but John particularly enjoyed working with his offensive line coach, former NFL Super Bowl winner Brian Habib. He played for the Broncos and blocked for John Elway. He was a great addition to the coaching staff this year. A few weeks ago, after spending most of the practice yelling at linemen who weren't making their blocks correctly, Coach Habib looked at John and said, "You know why I like you? You know what you're supposed to do and you do it. And on the rare occasion that you make a mistake, you learn from it and you don't do it again!" He then continued yelling at the other guys. Here are some other things that coaches said about John last night...

"He's always the first person to arrive at practice and the last to leave. "

"Coaches look forward to coming to practice because of kids like John."

"He just doesn't make mistakes."

"At the end of each practice, John looks every coach in the eye
and shakes his hand."

"He takes correction better than anyone I've seen."

"No one works harder than he does."

"I hope to know John all of my life; he's an amazing young man."

I could go on and on. The kind words that these gruff men had to say about John were amazing. One of the highlights of the night was that Coach Habib brought his Super Bowl ring and let each of his linemen take turns holding it. That was such a simple thing for him to do, but such a cool thing for these young men.

As if the season and the great evening weren't enough, there was one final surprise in store. John had mentioned that some awards were going to be given out; the players and coaches had voted last week (written ballot). We figured that if anything, John would be up for Offensive Lineman of the Year. When that award came and went (to a very deserving Junior), we guessed that it wasn't in the cards for John to receive something this year. We were wrong! After telling a funny story about John and saying many, many more kind words, John was called up to receive the Rudy Award; Most Inspirational Player/Hardest Worker. I could not have been more proud. John is an outstanding kid with an incredible work ethic, it's so good to see that others recognize that and honor him for it!

I don't recall the name of the coach that's shaking John's hand; he's a defensive coach so we're not very involved with him.
Closest to John is his head coach and the giant on the right is Coach Habib.

It's a little blurry, but I had to post it. Keep in mind that John is taller than me. Coach Habib is a beast. What an incredible man he is though; he was such a good mentor to John.

Well done, John. I love you.

It's Too Early! (I Think....)

2010-11-17T11:03:00.000-08:00

While driving home from a PTSA meeting last night, I noticed that one of the apartments several blocks from my house had their Christmas lights up.

What?!? That's too early! Don't get me wrong, I'm a Christmas junkie. I've even been tempted to put my own lights up but thankfully I have a friend who reigns me in when I get too close to the deep end. While they're beautiful and I can't wait to get everything up, I can't be in such a hurry to get to Christmas that I pass over Thanksgiving.

I spent the last few blocks of my drive thinking that the early Christmas-ers were nuts. There's an order to things. The lights (in my universe) go up on Thanksgiving. The tree and all of the indoor decorations will go up two days later. Everything in it's proper time. And while I am anxious to start playing some Christmas music, I'll wait. I'll enjoy the season that is upon us rather than rushing into the next one.

These were my thoughts as I drove the rest of the way home.

But as I pulled into my driveway and got out of my car, I realized that it made me terribly, ridiculously happy to see the Christmas lights. It totally made my night.

So I take back all of the negative thoughts that I had toward my apartment neighbors. I'll enjoy the last few days of this season and I'll certainly enjoy a yummy meal and some extra time with family and friends next week. Additionally, I promise that nothing will go up in my house until the appropriate time. But let the Christmas season begin!!!

Ten on Tuesday, Football Style

2010-11-16T15:55:00.000-08:00

While John's football season is over (boo!) the NFL and NCAA are still going strong. With that in mind, I bring you a list of ten random thoughts that I had while at the last Aztec game. Enjoy!

1. I'm afraid that I'm part hillbilly. I kind of like it when (at each game) they play Cotton Eye Joe.

2. Hard core football fans are cool. At the last game, they introduced a guy that had been to over 700 consecutive Aztec games. Not home games, consecutive games. That means that he's gone to every game, home or away, for almost 60 years. Quite impressive. Way to go, old dude.

3. Dibs and sunflower seeds are an odd mix. The same guy was selling both. Seems like the Dibs would be better paired with the other frozen items and the seeds should be with the peanuts and Cracker Jack. On my watch, they'd never be sold together.

4. I love audience participation. Since the Aztecs are actually doing well this year, there are more people in the seats and they're willing to have some fun. Whenever we get a first down, the announcer says, "And that's good for an Aztec..." and we all shout, "FIRST DOWN!" I think it's terribly fun; my kids were rolling their eyes at me.

5. The new mascot is stupid. This season they brought out a new, supplemental mascot: Zuma the Jaguar. He's ridiculous. Plush mascots are just silly (sorry, Sooz). Monty Montezuma was the best, the Aztec Warrior is fine. We don't need a stuffed animal.

6. Timing is everything. That being said, I think they're missing something when they do the Play of the Game in the middle of the third quarter. What about everything that happens in the last 15+ minutes of the game? Apparently it doesn't matter.

7. I walked right into the ladies' bathroom, but there were about 30 dudes in line for the men's room. Seemed weird.

8. There's never a bad time to quite 300. Whenever we've got a big defensive stand coming up, they play, "This is where we hold them! This is where we fight!" It's technically not complete without, "This is where they die!" I guess it's okay though, being a college game and all.

9. They should have a few sections marked off as a "No (Little) Kids Zone." I pay for my seats, I want to watch the game. I don't want an annoying toddler behind me who is going to scream all the time and spend the whole game kicking my seat. I'm just sayin'...

10. Streakers are awesome. I don't want my husband to do it, nor my kids. But face it, they're a lot of fun. We had two (not full nudity) at the last game and it was a hoot.

And that, my friends, is my Ten on Tuesday.

Illegal

2010-11-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of illegal is as follows: "not according to or authorized by law : unlawful, illicit; also : not sanctioned by official rules (as of a game)."

Pardon me while I step up onto my soap box.

I'm getting so sick and tired of illegal not meaning anything. Well, unless it's me going a few miles over the speed limit. Then it matters. But when speaking of people being in this country illegally, it means nothing.

Today the California Supreme Court upheld a law from 2001 stating that under certain conditions, illegal aliens will be entitled to in-state (reduced) tuition fees when attending college.

(Excuse me while I vomit.)

I didn't even know about the 2001 law; I admit that back then I had my hands full with little kids and I wasn't quite as politically savvy as I am now. That being said, this is insane. Absolutely insane! I know that California is rapidly going downhill; frankly, we're in a hand basket. But this makes me furious.

They are illegal. Did you read the definition? They're breaking the law! One of the conditions for the reduced tuition is that they had to have attended three years at a high school here. Why the heck are they allowed in school to begin with?? Hello...ILLEGAL!

But now, assuming that no one has had the (ahem) cajones to deal with them by the time they attain college age, we're going to give them a discount?!? Ludicrous. Apparently, an illegal has the right (laughable) to cheaper tuition in California than, say, one of my nieces or nephews from Colorado, who are law-abiding American citizens!

Sigh. I shouldn't get up on the soap box. This only scratches the surface and you might not like all that comes out. I just couldn't keep quiet on this one.

Oh, and for the record...props to John Tyner for not allowing himself to be groped at the airport on Saturday. But that's a rant for another day.

I'm stepping down now.

Looking on the Bright Side

2010-11-14T19:26:00.000-08:00

Sitting here at 7:30pm on this fine Sunday evening, I don't really have much to offer in the way of blogging. It's been a long, exhausting weekend and I've got a nasty headache. Hopefully tomorrow will bring the return of regularly scheduled blogging.

However, there is always time to be thankful. With that in mind, there are two things that I am thankful for today so I thought I'd share them.

Item 1: Sleep. Or more specifically, consecutive hours of sleep. I'm a ridiculously awful sleeper; I wake up all the time. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I slept through the night; it was probably in the 90's. (This is probably why I'm tired all the time!) Last night though, I was treated to a rare blessing; I slept for six consecutive hours. It was amazing! I went to sleep around 1am and woke up at 7am. I could hardly believe it! Maybe the sleeping pill worked extra well, maybe it was the sangria, who knows. But it felt so, so good to get that much sleep! I'm quite thankful and I'm hoping that it'll happen again someday.

Item 2: New Neighbors That Seem Decent. We live in a townhouse and we seem to be the only owners in our building; the rest are renters and there is a lot of turnover. On one side of us, we have really nice people but they have the worst, small yappy dogs ever. I'm hoping that one day they'll magically disappear (no luck yet). The other side has been vacant for several months. Today, we came home to find people moving in. They seem so nice! It's a young couple, no kids and no dogs! We've had our share of bad neighbors over the years; I'm really thankful that it's looking up for this pair.

And with that, I'm going to take my thankful little rear off to bed and hope for some more of that sleep stuff. Goodnight, and here's to a better tomorrow!

By Way of Explanation...

2010-11-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

A few days ago a friend of mine asked what she could get JC for Christmas. It didn't take me long to come up with a brilliant idea...get the boy a Big 5 gift card. Let me explain...

In addition to the helmet, sliders, shoulder pads and various other pads that are provided to the football team, this year we've accumulated several extra pieces of equipment. Mind you, these aren't coming from a provided list that we received at the beginning of the season. No, that would be convenient and make sense. Usually these are the result of a late night, after practice run to Big 5. John will get in the car after practice and say something like, "...coach wants me to have (insert random sporting good) by tomorrow." Practice generally lets out between 7pm and 7:30pm, and Big 5 closes at 8pm. Therefore, it becomes a stressful game of Beat-the-Clock getting there, knowing that if they don't have it we're at least in for a trip to Sports Authority and possibly of having to go all the way to Dick's (in Vista) in search of said suggested item.

Not only is this late-night-game-show a barrel of fun (not!), but it can also be pricey. That's why I thought that gift cards to sporting goods stores would make a good gift; then he can decide if it's an item that he wants/needs enough to use his money on it. See how smart I am?

For your viewing pleasure, and because I have absolutely nothing else to blog about today, I am providing you with a picture of this year's Beat the Clock winners.

At the top we have a chin strap. This looks like a harness. Or something else that I don't want to mention. Yep. It's a chin strap.

Next we have the lineman gloves. Don't know exactly how they help. I think their primary function is to add that dead animal/leathery smell to his gear bag. Seriously, it smells like a small animal lost it's life in there.

Moving right along, we have elbow pads. But they're not really pads; they're more like compression sleeves. According to the box, they're supposed to keep the elbows warm and therefore less likely to sustain injury. We found this out (and purchased these) after John displaced a ligament in his elbow several weeks ago. It might have been nice to know about these ahead of time...

Finally, there are ankle braces. You think the gloves smelled bad? These are a zillion times worse; they're in constant contact with sweaty feet! At least these stayed in his locker all season. They came home last night when the lockers were cleared out, they've been washed and now they'll await next season.

So there you have it. If you're looking for something to get my eldest for Christmas, please consider a gift card. I'm reasonably certain that next season, or this off season even, will produce more and more do-dads that he'll want to get.

1996

2010-11-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

Hey there! It's Flashback Friday time!

Last year I posted some pictures from 1995. I pretty much said what needed to be said about '95, so I thought I'd skip ahead to 1996.

One would think that after having such a life-changing event (getting married), we'd take it easy for a few years. And if you thought that - you'd be wrong. Being the crazy kids that we were, we decided that we didn't want to wait to start a family. In 1996, just six weeks after I turned 21, I became a mama.

Sorry about the poor quality of the pictures; they're old and I don't want to spend forever editing. I also apologize (only slightly) for number of pictures. Heck...you should consider yourself lucky that I stopped at a dozen!

And away we go....

April 11, 1996, time to get the party started.

I've always loved this picture.
It's as if they're saying, "Ok, we're ready. Move this thing along, will ya?"

After a very long couple of hours, John arrived. Love that little bundle!

Love.

There were a lot of "firsts" in '96. We'll begin with his first vacation. We went to a little town in Arizona where my grandparents grew up. Andy treated that stroller like an off-road stroller, running up and down the mountain. It never steered quite right after that.

My men.

First trip to Disneyland. Clearly he's overwhelmed.

First Aztec game.

First Halloween.

Developing his love of news. I'm not kidding; now he watches Fox News every day before he goes to school and he listens to KFI on the radio while he does his homework every night!

First Christmas!

An offensive lineman in the making? I think so.

Mind Your Manners

2010-11-11T12:18:00.000-08:00

Last week I had to deliver something to John at school.

Per school policy, I had to meet him in the office as we can no longer pass things through the gate. While it is a bit irksome (it ads, gasp, a whole minute or two to the process), I understand the desire for control over who and what comes and goes. Safety first and all.

After my business with John was complete, I headed out the main set of double doors. As I opened it and stepped out, I saw a man approaching with a bag of fast food in one hand and a drink in the other. He didn't look familiar or like a staffer; I assume it was a father bringing lunch to his child.

Now, while both of his hands were full, he totally could have opened the door for himself. I didn't need to wait and hold the door. In fact, it was one of those awkward times when he was really about a dozen steps away so I had to stand there and wait for him. Not being in a hurry and feeling like being nice (wow, me, who knew?), I waited.

He finished coming up the steps, got to the door and...walked right through. No eye contact. No head nod. No words. No acknowledgment of any kind.

Thinking more quickly than I usually do, I came up with a plan. When he was just through the other side of the doorway I let go of the door and channeling my grandma the best that I could I called out (cheerfully and quite loudly), "You're welcome." As the door was shutting and I was walking away, I heard him mutter something under his breath.

Seriously. Where have people's manners gone? There's no way that he could have missed that I was holding it for him. There was no one else around that I could have been assisting. Would it have taken that much time or energy to at least acknowledge me?

What is this world coming to?

How Not To

2010-11-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

He's a three-time All Star.
His stats are phenomenal.
I've yet to see anyone run the bases faster than he does.
He has trophies galore.
He is clearly a gifted athlete.

Unfortunately, even with all of the amazing-ness, some lessons are still hard to learn. I had really hoped he'd learned this one last year.

Alas, no such luck.
We still need to work on one important fundamental...

Not Using Your Face to Stop the Ball.

"...so it took a bad hop. I got him out anyway; that's all that matters."

Sigh.

When the Seemingly Simple is Anything But

2010-11-09T13:01:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday, I purchased some Christmas cards at Hallmark. Long story short, I don't need them anymore. This morning I set out to return them...

As I entered Hallmark and stepped up to the counter, a young man came up to help me. While there's nothing particularly wrong with that, it doesn't immediately inspire the confidence that you get when you are helped by an older lady who had clearly worked there for years. However, he's who I got so I proceeded. The following took place between myself and the Young Hallmark Man (YHM).

MC: "Good Morning! I'd like to return these boxes of cards."

I produced the three boxes of cards along with my receipt. YHM stared at the receipt for probably a full two minutes.

YHM: "You used a Gold Crown Rewards Coupon with this."

MC: "Yes, I purchased the cards and used a $2 rewards coupon that I had."

YHM: "If you return these, you'll lose the rewards bonus."

MC: "That's fine."

YHM: (rather shocked) "Really?"

MC: "Yes, it's only $2 and I really don't need the cards."

He quickly-but-not-imperceptibly shook his head; then he logged on to his register and pushed a few buttons. More looking at the receipt. More looking at the register.

This was taking a long time. Probably seven minutes had passed at this point. I was really starting to get impatient. I can't stand incompetence and clearly YHM had no idea how to deal with this situation. I was about three seconds away from laying into him and then I saw it...a Jesus pin on his smock. Holy Crap! I can't yell at the Jesus man!! I tried so hard to be patient. But seriously, if you don't know how to handle a transaction, ask for help!

While all of these thoughts were running through my head you know what was doing? He was still staring at the register. My blood pressure was now reaching unhealthy limits. I've been a cashier and I'm reasonably certain that alternately staring at a receipt and the register doesn't make things happen. Ever heard of a manual price adjustment? I'm so not kidding. It had now been twelve minutes.

Just as I was about to walk behind the counter and figure out the register myself, he produced a binder with some magical bar codes which he started scanning. Then he punched in some numbers. Then he voided what he did. Then some more scanning, a few more numbers and finally he came up with a return receipt for me to sign. The amount looked right, I honestly didn't recall what the exact number was. I thanked him (much more sweetly than I felt) and left the store. I wonder if people could see the smoke coming out of my ears. The Jesus pin had left me no outlet for my exasperation.

At the bottom of the escalator, I decided that I'd better check my refund receipt against my original just to make sure that I didn't get cheated. I pulled everything out of my wallet, examined it and.... he refunded me 32 cents more than I paid originally!!!

Wanting to do the right thing and not wanting him to get in trouble (stupid Jesus pin), I went back upstairs, entered Hallmark and approached the counter for the second time in twenty minutes.

Me: "Excuse me..."

YHM: "Oh, hi."

Me: "I just looked at these receipts and realized that you refunded me more than I originally paid."

YHM: (with a bewildered look on his face) "I know. I don't know how to make it work."

Me: "Um, okay. I don't want you to be short or anything. I can buy something small so that you'll at least come out ahead..."

YHM: "No. That's fine, you don't have to. It just won't work."

The moral of this story: sometimes it literally does pay to go back and point out an error. Also, YHM is going to be eaten alive working retail through a holiday season.

Sweatshirts That Make You Cry

2010-11-08T12:52:00.000-08:00

I don't generally care what I look like when I take John to school. It really doesn't matter; I never get out of the car or talk to anyone that early in the morning. The worst thing that can happen is that someone I know could drive by and see me as I'm getting into my car. If were to occur, they deserve what they see for having the nerve to look at me at 7:15am.

Usually, I throw on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. My hair is always piled on top of my head and I wear my Uggs. You get the picture. With the weather finally deciding to cool off, I know have to add a jacket of sorts to the mix. This morning I grabbed one of Andy's sweatshirts.

About half way to school, I turned to look over my shoulder as I switched lanes and the sweatshirt bunched up around my face. Well, around my nose in particular. I don't know why this should surprise me, but it totally smelled like Andy. For a few seconds I felt like I was nineteen years old again and borrowing his sweatshirt. (Many of you might remember the green, Eddie Bauer sweatshirt that he used to wear.) It smelled quite lovely.

Oddly, the experience made me think of "Memories" from the Happy Days finale. I haven't seen the episode for years, so I have no idea how my brain dug that one up. I sang the song the rest of the way to school. When I got home I decided to look it up.

You know, when I was younger it used to make me cry thinking of getting married and leaving home (it's from Joanie and Chachi's wedding). Now I find that I put myself more in Howard and Marion's shoes; seeing their children grow up and leave the nest.

Apparently, that goofy little song and montage will always make me cry; it's just that now the tears are for a different reason.

The lesson learned is to wear my own sweatshirts unless I'm prepared to deal with the emotional roller coaster that comes with borrowing Andy's.

Travel Ideas

2010-11-07T18:50:00.000-08:00

No, we're not going anywhere; at least not right now. I'm insisting on a grand trip for our 20th, but that's still a couple of years away. What a blog that's going to be! But I digress...

Last night I had the opportunity to participate in a contest where the winner would receive two airline tickets to anywhere in the continental United States. Not that I won; I would have had to have participated to even have a chance to win. It did get me thinking though: Where would I go if I were to win?

I first thought that I would go to Orlando; I've always wanted to go to Disney World. That would be hell on Earth for Andy, though, so I quickly decided against Florida.

Secondly, I thought of Denver. We've got lots of family there and it would be lovely to visit them. I only dismissed this idea because I reasoned that if I won tickets, I'd like it to be a date kind of a trip, not a family kind of a trip.

Hawaii came to mind. I think it'd be nice visit the islands someday. There's just all that sand. And beaches. I hate sand and beaches.

I briefly entertained the idea of going to Washington, but I ruled that out since I hope to live there one day. No need to spend free tickets on a trip up north.

After thinking about for while, probably way too long, I settled on somewhere back east. Boston and New York were the top of the list. Boston would be fun; think of all of the pubs that we could visit! But New York...yeah, that's where I decided I'd go.

In the car this evening, I asked Andy where he'd go if given freebies. (Clearly I've used way too many brain cells on this...) The conversation went like this:

AC: "It would seem like we should maximize the value by going somewhere kind of expensive. So probably New York. Stay in the city, have some fun."

Me: "That's what I came up with too. I really think that would be my choice, but I'm kind of scared of the people there, so I don't know..."

AC: "Are you kidding? You're just as bat-sh*t crazy as they are! You'd fit right in!"

You know, he's right. So it's settled; if we ever win free airline tickets, we'll go to New York.

The Breakfast of Champions

2010-11-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

It's official. I'm currently on a toast kick. I guess I should be thankful; there are many worse things that I could be consuming a lot of. Cheesecake, nachos, candy bars...you get the idea. So toast really isn't all that bad.

When I really want a piece of toast, not just any bread will do. It must be Fransisco French Bread. This is the toast that I was raised on; this was my Grandma's toast. I'd never make a sandwich on this bread, it's not nearly soft and squishy enough, but it does make a mean slice of toast.

With all of this in mind, while I was making breakfast this morning I found myself thinking about my grandparents. It's probably natural; I always seem to miss them more around the holidays. Even thought it's been a number of years since I lost them, sometimes if feels like just yesterday. I'm sad that my kids didn't get to know my Granddad, and that they won't remember my Grandma before she developed dementia. It breaks my heart. But it is what it is I guess; the circle of life and all. I am happy, though, that there are little things that remind me of them. Today it was breakfast.

Grandma, I lift my piece of toast to you. Granddad, I left a few crumbs in the butter tin just like you always did. I love you both so very much. Nothing is the same without you.

1993 & 1994

2010-11-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

As some of you are may recall, when I was blogging last year I had a Flashback Friday series. Each week I'd take a different year (in chronological order, of course) and I'd post a few pictures.

Since the last year I posted was 1992, it seemed logical to pick up in 1993. The problem is, I don't have very many pictures of 1993. Nor did I find very many pictures from 1994.

I was really involved at church; I sang in the choir and the worship team. I was a Jr. High leader and was in the College Group. I was working full time. I was pretty busy, I just wasn't thinking about pictures. Here's what I was able to scrounge up...

I spent a lot of time in 1993 babysitting/playing with my little cousins. It's hard to believe that they're all grown up now; it makes me feel really old!

In the fall of 1993, my parents celebrated their 25th Anniversary.
Surprise parties are fun.

Ah, one of my favorites of me and my bestie. We realized this past summer that I've now known her longer than I haven't known her.
That's a super cool thing.

Good times; a spring break party at said bestie's house. As I look at all of the faces here, some of them are my very favorite people in the whole world. Look closely, you might recognize some of them. Also, you should take note of my new, scruffy-haired boyfriend. (He was growing his hair out so that he could portray Jesus in an Easter production.) This was during spring break of 1994.
A month later, I'd be engaged.

I'll Have Another, Please

2010-11-04T14:01:00.000-07:00

Last night with dinner, I was drinking Sangria.

Generally, when we're having dinner at home, I drink milk. Until recently, I would only get Sangria when we're out at Italian places. Lately though, I've been enjoying it more and more so I've started making it at home. I'll typically have it late at night when Andy's drinking his Scotch. For some reason, last night I decided to have some with dinner.

Good thing...

Matt was at youth group; Andy, John and I were sitting at the table eating pasta while the buzz of Fox News filled the background. The conversation was fairly normal. "How was your day?" "Do you have a lot of homework" "Did your (insert sore body part here) hurt too badly at practice?" "Funny thing happened at work today..." All typical stuff.

About mid-way through his third piece of garlic bread, John asked (very nonchalantly), "Do we have any plans for Saturday?"

I reply, "We have an Aztec game. Why? What's up?"

In the split second that it took for him to answer, several possible activities ran through my head. I wondered which he was going to throw at us. Would it be an evening of video games and poker at his quarterback's house with his fellow offensive linemen? Perhaps some football with the guys at his center's house? Maybe a trip to the gym to get in some extra lifting? All of these have happened before and were quite possible. However, none are correct. Out of his mouth came...

"I'd like to go to the school dance."

Gulp.

It was bound to happen sometime. He's a sophomore. He's got a zillion friends and he's a popular guy on the football team. He texts people all the time. There's a girl named Brittany that he's been talking to a lot. Eventually he was going to want to go to a dance, I just didn't think it would be this Saturday night.

After a talk about some ground rules, all of which will be reiterated multiple times in the next 72 hours, we agreed to let him go. He said thanks, cleared his dishes and headed upstairs to start his homework.

I went to the kitchen and poured myself a second, very large glass of sangria.

#2,149

2010-11-03T13:48:00.000-07:00

If you're lucky enough to know my dad, you know what an amazing man he is. I'm not kidding; if you don't know him, ask someone who does. I don't think there's anyone on the planet who doesn't like my dad. He's Godly, loving, kind, talented, patient, forgiving, smart, creative, funny, generous...the list could literally go on and on.

There are many, many reasons why I adore him and today I thought I'd share one of them with you. Reason #2,149 is because of conversations like this:

(The following took place this past Saturday morning...)

Dad: "I hear that you want me to write a few things down on a Christmas list."

Me: "Yep."

Dad: "You planning on starting your shopping soon?"

Me: "Yeah, I think Mom and I are going to try to get out next weekend. It'd be nice if everyone could get their lists to me by then."

Dad: "Well, why don't I make it easy for you? Just tell me what you want to get me and I'll put it on my list."

I love you, Dad.

...Because A Thankful Heart is a Happy Heart...

2010-11-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

Today didn't start out so great. It was a hectic morning and there were just a couple of little things that were bugging me.

The speeding ticket (while driving carpool) didn't help. Nor does thinking about the dental work that I will receive in a couple of hours.

Lately though, when things have been looking down, I've been trying to focus more on being thankful. It's hard to have a pity party and be thankful at the same time. I have my moments, don't get me wrong. Some of you were with me at "that moment" when you got the text about the speeding ticket. But in general, I'm trying to follow Monty Python's example and look on the bright side of life.

With that in mind, there are two things that I'm thankful for this morning.

First, the return of my good friend, The Red Cup. It's hard to be sad when sipping a vanilla latte from a Red Cup.

Second, I'm thankful for my friend, Andreya, and for the unexpected blessing of the Starbucks gift card that allowed my first Red Cup of the season to be free! There was also a super sweet note with the gift card that made my tears of panic (dang ticket) turn to tears of happiness. Thank you, Andreya! You're such a blessing!

Out With the Bad Air, In With the Good

2010-11-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not talking about my asthma; I'm referring to change.

I'm not talking about good change, either. You know, changes like getting a new haircut or taking down the Halloween decorations and putting up Thanksgiving decor (yay for this afternoon!). I'm speaking of the hard, life changes.

At any given time, I have at least seven things that I should change. Generally, it's the usual suspects: I need to lose (a ton of) weight, I should manage my time better, I could be a better wife/mom/friend, I should turn off the TV more often and read more books. You get the picture.

The problem with change is that it seems to be ridiculously hard. I always intend to lose weight; I start a diet almost every Monday. It usually ends by Tuesday. Frequently I make elaborate "to-do" lists only to find that it's not humanly possible to accomplish everything. I break out a book to read, but find that I get sleepy when I start to read so I turn on the TV instead. I intend to be patient and loving with my kids and then one of them does something so teenager-ish that I want to throw utensils at them! (This actually almost happened; a few months ago JC did something and I literally almost threw my fork at him.)

In short, I continually fail. I'll be faced with a situation and Little (White) Michelle on my left shoulder says, "Think of how much more accomplished you'll feel. You'll have victory! You can do it!" But then Little (Red) Michelle on my right shoulder quickly replies, "Eh, life is short. Go ahead, eat cheesecake for breakfast!"

And...this is where the blog breaks down.

I've stated my topic. I feel like I've communicated some of the changes that I'd like to make. I've listed a few specific things that thwart my attempts. I shared the conversation that takes place between the Little Michelles. Logically, we've arrived at the part where I dazzle you with some great epiphany that I've had. Some gems of wisdom. What I've done to overcome some bad habits and how I've risen above them.

Nope. I've got nothing.

Today is just another, ordinary Monday. So far I've done okay. I haven't touched the Halloween candy (yet). I was nice to all of my people as they left the house this morning. I picked up some things and started laundry before I sat down to write. So far, so good. But it's early; the candy corn will probably start calling to me around 11ish.

While I would love for that magical epiphany to occur, I fear that I'm going to keep taking it one day at a time and struggle through it. Charles Swindoll wrote a book called Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back. That's what it feels like. Although many days it feels like it's actually three steps back and I'm just breaking even. Or it's four steps, and I'm losing ground.

Oh well. I'll keep trying.

It's In The Genes

2009-11-23T21:29:00.000-08:00

Before I continue with my observation for the day, I just want you to know that I'm fully aware of the fact that I fell off of the blog wagon this past weekend. I had a sick kid, I didn't feel so hot myself, I was focusing on Christmas cards, etc. It just didn't get done. And you know what? The world will go on! (For those of you that know me well, you know how big of a deal it is for me to say that!)

And now, today's thought....

There are a great many things that I've passed on to my kids: my love for home-made mashed potatoes, my anal retentive need for everything to be tidy (well, only one kid got that), the general shape of my nose, my competitive nature, the list goes on and on. Tonight, I discovered one more thing that at least one of my kids picked up.

We stopped by the library after hours to return a book for Andy and I asked Matt to hop out and put it in the book drop. What he did next totally made me giggle. He ran over there, placed the book in, closed the door to activate the drop, then opened it again and peeked in just to make sure that it was empty.

That's not something I've ever told him to do. All I can think of is that he's seen me do that a million times with mail boxes so it must have made sense to him to do it at the library.

My kid makes me smile. :-)

One Step At A Time

2009-11-20T22:29:00.000-08:00

Today I did something very cool.

I bought jeans that are a size smaller. :-)

I've been wearing my heavy jeans; I'm not yet able to fit into my skinny jeans. However, the heavy jeans started getting a little too baggy so I had to go by some one size smaller.

I was hoping to be back into the skinny jeans for my trip to Tennessee next week. It really doesn't look like I'm going to make it. Oh well, baby steps, right? I'm down one size.

Hooray!

"Always two there are, a Master and an Apprentice."

2009-11-19T14:57:00.000-08:00

Sorry. I couldn't pass up the obvious Star Wars quote. Priorities, you know.

Anyhow, here's my thought for the day:

Who is having more fun these days? The teacher or the student?

The World We Live In

2009-11-18T23:34:00.001-08:00

You know, sometimes I like to pretend that we're not in the 2000's...

Like maybe we're back in the 50's and I'm June Cleaver and my biggest problem is the Beaver giving away my new hat and gloves to the clothing drive at school.

Or maybe I'm Aunt Bea and I'm trying to help Opie nurse the sick birds back to health.

I could be Laura Petrie, were I'm busy rearranging the furniture for a dinner party that I'm throwing.

Heck, I could even be Lucy Ricardo and I would spend all day trying to figure out what to do with the two sides of beef that I ordered. (It was such a good price!)

Those happy thoughts never last long though. I'm always jolted back to the reality of our times. Take tonight, for example. This is question #10 on a consent form that John brought home from school today regarding the H1N1 vaccine:

10. Is your child pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the next month?

Yes - No - Don't Know

Sigh. I think I do miss the good ol' days.

Ten on Tuesday

2009-11-17T20:31:00.000-08:00

For today's Ten on Tuesday list, I'm going to share with you my ten favorite Christmas cds. I'm a Christmas nut and I have a ton of Christmas music. It was really hard to narrow it down to ten; but Thirty on Tuesday seemed a bit excessive.

I decided to add in the links (where possible) so that you can listen to samples if you're so inclined.

In no particular order....

1. A Christmas To Remember, Amy Grant. While I love love love all of Amy's Christmas cds, this one has Highland Cathedral on it. If this would have come out prior to my wedding, it would have been my processional; it's simple and it's gorgeous.

2. The Living Room Sessions: Christmas, Chris Rice. It's beauty is it's simplicity. My boys are learning to play some of them on the piano; I love it!

3. A Christmas Together, John Denver and the Muppets. From the touching lyrics in A Baby Just Like You to the pure fun of The Twelve Days of Christmas, this cd has it all.

4. Christmas Card, The Statler Brothers. I've been listening to this one all my life; my parents had the record. This would always be on while we were decorating the tree. This one is easily one of my top three favorites.

5. Merry Axemas: A Guitar Christmas, Various Artists. What can I say? I grew up in the 80's.

6. The Christmas Sessions, MercyMe. Oh, I love this one! Their Little Drummer Boy is my 2nd favorite version of it ever (just behind White Heart). It IS the best version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, they use part of Carol of the Bells in the background. Sounds weird, I know, but it really works. And as a parent, you can't avoid being moved by Joseph's Lullaby. It's amazing what Joseph and Mary were asked to do.

7. It's Christmas Time, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong. Classic.

8. Elf: Music from the Major Motion Picture (Soundtrack). I just bought this one about a week and a half ago but I love it already. It's so very happy.

9. One Christmas Eve, Wayne Watson. While this one loses a few points for including Sweet Little Jesus Boy (I hate that song), it wins a million points for Child of Bethlehem. I sang it in a musical once with my choir buddies; I think of them every time I hear it. Also, this one has my favorite version of I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.

10. Yust Go Nuts At Christmas, Stan and Doug. Because a Scandinavian comedian with a super strong accent messing up Christmas songs is just that funny.

Sorry....

2009-11-16T22:30:00.000-08:00

...tonight I've got nothin'.

Gone all weekend with baseball activities.
Spent over 8 hours today processing Little League paperwork.
Just spent several hours at a board meeting.

Sorry, I'm done for the day. There are no creative brain cells left.

I guess I can be thankful that tomorrow is John's late day at school; I get to sleep in until 7:30. Woo hoo!

I'll try to offer up something better tomorrow. :-)

Seven on Sunday

2009-11-15T23:17:00.000-08:00

I know, I know...it's supposed to be Ten on Tuesday. However, a bunch of little things made me happy today so I thought I'd take the opportunity to be thankful, even if it's the "wrong" day.

In no particular order, here are seven things that made me smile today.

1. My Farms. Yes, I'm a Facebook junkie and I have three farms. I love them. They're so orderly and tidy; they make me happy.

2. Andy. He offered to run an errand for me today when I was in a hurry and stressing out about how I was going to fit everything in. A little thing, but it meant a lot.

3. The Colts won. It wasn't looking so good there for a while, but my main-man Peyton pulled it off. It was fabulous!

4. Left Overs Being Consumed and Not Wasted. We'd piled up quite the stash of left overs in the fridge. Tonight everyone had some (all various things, mind you, not things you'd usually put together) and not a bit went to waste!

5. Cheesecake. There was a left over piece of cheesecake in there that was Andy's. He let me have two bites. I'm on Weight Watchers so I couldn't really eat more than that, but boy were those two bites heavenly! I love cheesecake.

6. My Boy Matt. He's such a good ball player. He went five for six with two walks in the tournament this weekend, pitched four shut-out innings and played some great defense at short. He's pretty awesome.

7. My argyle socks. Seriously, how can I have a bad day when I'm wearing such fun socks???

You Gotta Love Ted

2009-11-14T23:34:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not speaking of Teddy Roosevelt, Ted Williams or even Ted Knight.

The Ted that I'm referring to is Ted Leitner. He's been a sports fixture around here for as long as I can remember. Every now and then, he says the funniest things. Tonight, speaking of the Aztec defense and the Wyoming offense, he offered up this little gem:

"That was sloppy tackling but excellent blocking for a not terrific offensive line."

He cracks me up.

The End of a Season

2009-11-13T14:19:00.000-08:00

Today was the end of John's first trimester at school. Finals are done, books are turned in and he starts his new schedule on Monday.

Tonight was also the last night of football. It seems crazy that we're done; it's been such a big part of our lives since practices started in June.

John had a great season. He got play time in every game, which was much more than some of the kids got. He has grown so much, matured. I am so very proud of him!

Tonight, I honor him with my blog. Here are a few pictures from the season...

This was on July 1st. He's getting ready to go to his first scrimmage (summer passing-league). They'd only been practicing for about two weeks at this point.

This was taken mid-August. They're at their first official scrimmage; some school up in Escondido. It was 110 degrees that day. We were dying just sitting there; I can't imagine playing in it!

He made it though! Look at that smile!

So handsome!

September 4th, The First Game

Unfortunately, he didn't get to play in that first game. He was knocked unconscious at practice three days before and received quite a good (or bad!) concussion. He was side-lined for a week. They were nice enough to let him work the chain gang; he's over there on the far side in an orange vest.

At least he made the best of it. He's played in every game since!

Warming up for our first away game. His aunt & uncle, as well as a cousin from Colorado were in town and got to see him rush the QB (he was a defensive end) and force a bad throw which resulted in an interception. It was a beautiful thing.

A series of events led him a new number. He went from #80 to #59. It's all good; he just wants to play, he doesn't care what number he is.
Love, love, love that face!

In keeping with the never-know-what-number-you'll-be theme of this season, at this game he wore #70. I don't have any better pictures because my camera pooped out. In this one, he's talking with his coach and fellow linemen right before they went in for the game-saving goal line stand. Yep, he's good.

So proud of you, son.

Go Nighthawks!

One Ringy-Dingy...Two Ringy-Dingy

2009-11-12T07:35:00.000-08:00

After a week or so of making the decision followed by another two weeks of waiting, late Tuesday night I received my new cell phone. Yippee!

Then came the hard part...selecting ring tones. A few of you know that there are some seemingly ridiculous things that I have a hard time making decisions about: which checks to order, what Christmas cards to purchase, things of that nature. Same thing with ring tones. In a moment of frustration last night I sent a text to my buddy that read, "Why is picking a ring tone for my mom so stinkin' hard?" Her reply: "Because it is terribly important and to mess it up would display a terrible lack of good judgment." She so gets me. :-)

However, all of that indecision is behind me. I am happy to report that all of the ring tones have been chosen and every setting has been adjusted just how I want it.

I am now receiving phone calls.

Never A Dull Moment

2009-11-11T16:26:00.000-08:00

In mid-July, we had quite the adventure. While I was in Reno for the weekend taking in excellent films at the cinema and filling my body with o-so-healthy food and drink (ha!), my youngest son was playing in a baseball tournament in Menifee, California.

Andy and I kept in touch via phone calls and texts; I was apprised of the scores of the various games and exactly how Matt was doing at each at bat, etc. When my phone rang at 4pm, just as I was getting ready to drive up to Lake Tahoe for dinner with my buddies, I assumed that it was another update. Well, an update it was, but not the kind a mom wants to get.

He was calling to report that Matt had "just had several of his teeth knocked out." I was sure he was kidding, I'd just talked to him about 15 minutes before. He wasn't. After they got some of the blood out of the way and could take a look (ewwww), the teeth were there but they'd been pushed way back, dropped all the way down and were dangling by their roots.

Not knowing what was ahead for Matt, I hopped on a plane and flew home. Andy received some instruction on how to "hold" the teeth in there in transit and they made the hour-long drive back to San Diego to see the orthodontist. It was very cool of our orthodontist to meet them at 6pm on a Saturday night.

Thanks to Andy's brilliant prepping, our orthodontist's great care and a whole bunch of prayers answered; I'm happy to report that as of yesterday we've gone from this...

(Yes, those are the seams from the baseball imprinted on his upper lip.)

(The thought was to shove the teeth back into place, put braces on them and try to hold them in while the bones fused around them and locked the teeth back in.)

...to this!

We still have to wait a while; they said that if the teeth are going to die it could take up to a year for that to happen. But for now they are strong enough to be brace-free while we wait!

Yay!!! Love that smile!

Ten on Tuesday

2009-11-10T09:01:00.001-08:00

Hey friends and fans. Okay, that might only be one of you...but still, Hey! :-)

I'm taking a little different approach to Ten on Tuesday for the rest of the month. Traditionally, the Tuesday lists have been things that I'm thankful for. I've decided to mix it up a bit and do a Top 10 list. So here we go...

Since I take my sweatshirts as seriously as I take my coffee cups, I'm going to count down my Top 10 sweatshirts for you and tell you why they mean so much to me. Enjoy!

#10. Ah, Veggietales. Back when the boys were younger, maybe 3 & 4 years old, I found these on sale at Berean and I got them for all three of us. It was the only matching stuff we ever had. They looked so cute in them! I pull this one out every now and then and am reminded of sweet times with my little ones.

#9. This one is a favorite because it reminds me of a lifetime of memories with my family and my dearest of friends. We've been season ticket holders to SDSU football games for all but about 5 years of my life. It's been wonderful. Things I think of:
-My mom making "math worksheets" for me when I was little
- Getting deli sandwiches and taking them with us (back when eating out was novel and a treat)
- When I was finally brave enough to not cover my ears when the cannon went off
- Taking turns buying ice cream with a certain guitar player that I know
- Tight end contests...'nuff said.
- GOOOO RICOOOOO!!! :-)

#8. Lucy! She's my favorite...heck, I am Lucy! Ever wonder why my blog is called Snow Comes Up?

My friends gave me this for my birthday about 8 years ago. After I opened this, we went to Magic Mountain and I got really, really sick and came home the next day with a fever and bad bronchitis. That was also the M.M. trip where I passed out on Goliath. Fun times, huh? Actually, it really was a day full of memories, some just different than I would have planned. This sweatshirt makes me smile; I think about Lucy, about good times with good friends, and how I wish with all my heart that we could recapture some of those times.

#7. While zip-up sweatshirts aren't typically my favorite, I make an exception for this one. I mean, how many people have their name on a sweatshirt? :-)

It's actually my brother-in-law's company, Coffman Construction, Inc. They had these made and were super cool to outfit our whole family in CCI gear. They're just awesome like that. Some of my very favorite people...

#6. While I'm not a die-hard Charger fan, I'm an extreme fan of the game. And, well, you have to have a home team sweatshirt, right?

Actually, this one is extra special because Matt gave it to me for Christmas a few years back. And, it's the warmest sweatshirt I have. This one comes out on the coldest of days.

#5. This one is pretty beat up but I love it.

When my hubby was accepted to CSUSM, I schlepped the kids up to the school one day to surprise Andy with a t-shirt.

So, I went to the school one afternoon with a one year old and a two year old. We had to park in an outer visitor lot, which was about mile away from the bookstore. I also seem to recall the biggest staircase ever (or it seemed so carrying a one year old) that we had to climb. We made it though, and while there, I treated myself to a sweatshirt.

It was a fun (looking back) adventure getting this one and it reminds me of my husband's incredible commitment to both is family and his education.

#4. This one makes me happy because I actually purchased it in Wisconsin.

Several years back, Andy and I were in Chicago and we decided to drive up to Kenosha for the evening. Beautiful town!

It was a perfect fall night, nice and cold. We went for a walk and then went shopping and I bought this. We then topped off the evening with a trip to White Castle, where I quickly decided that I never need to go to White Castle again! :-)

#3. This is one of my new favorites. I bought it at a baseball tournament that Matt was in a couple of weekends ago. I wasn't sure if I was going to get a sweatshirt or not, but when the boys won the tourney, with Matt pitching the win, I decided that I must have one. My boy rocks!

#2. Well, now that John is playing high school football, I had to get one for his team, didn't I? That was a given!

So proud of John and all of the work he's put in...literally hundreds of hours. He's amazing. Go Nighthawks!

#1. Is there any doubt why this one is my very, very favorite?

It's a sweatshirt (which implies that it's cold outside if you need it).

It's from Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth.

It's Christmas.

Yep, this one's the best! Only a few more days until I can pull this one out! I can't wait!!!

"I don't have THAT many."

2009-11-09T08:52:00.001-08:00

Since it's now officially Christmas Season at our house, when the boys wanted hot chocolate last night it seemed like the right time to dig out the Christmas mugs. As I should have expected, that turned into me taking the opportunity to clean the cabinets. I unloaded everything, washed out the cabinets and then put things away in a proper, tidy fashion. While I was reloading, I went through things, pulling out things I don't need anymore. Here's a bit of the conversation that Andy and I had while that was happening:

Me: "Hey, honey...look at all of the stuff I'm able to get rid of. It's going to make the cabinets so much more tidy. There will be room for everything without cramming it all in there."

Andy: "Are you sure you won't want any of that next week and go out and buy it again?"

Me: "No, I never use it. There's not really room for it all anyway, so there's no use keeping it."

Andy: "There's only 'no room' because of your dang Starbucks mugs."

Me: "Oh, come on. I don't have that many."

It was then that I stopped and counted. Yep, he was right. I kind of do have that many. Seventeen to be exact. But I need every one of them! Choosing the right mug each morning is a terribly important decision; it reflects my mood and sets the tone for my whole day! My coffee mugs are a very personal thing. I decided to share them with you.

The Everyday Mugs

The Fall/Autumn Mugs

The City Mugs

The Christmas Mugs

And that makes 17!
No wonder that cabinet was getting a bit crowded. :-)

Check the Lyrics

2009-11-08T18:48:00.000-08:00

This evening I found myself looking up chord sheets to various Bon Jovi songs for my son; he's learning to play the guitar and Richie Sambora is pretty much his hero right now. As I was getting ready to print this one out for him, something struck me as a bit odd. I started reading the lyrics and before long Matt and I were both rolling on the floor laughing.

These are the correct words from the song "Summertime" off of the Lost Highway album. Please observe:

Verse 1
These days life goes like this, wake up, check that off some list
Gotta be a little something more than this in the bottom of my coffee cup
I keep a postcard in the back of my mind
Of white sand, sunshine, and you shinin' like a brand new dime
That's keeping me from giving up, feeling like I've had enough

Verse 2
I was a warm breeze with a cool tan,
Life mapped out on the back of my hand
When God was laughing I was making plans,
But he didn't laugh when I found you
If there's a heaven baby you're the proof, You make me...

Chorus:
Feel something like summertime, top down and nothin' but time
Radio's on and you by my side, feels something like summertime
Like that first slow dance and the first long kiss
There ain't nothin' baby better than this
It's like a beach blanket and a bottle of wine, feels something like summertime

It's a catchy song; I like it. It was a lot of fun in concert; in general I'm a fan. Now, please observe the lyrics that some dude posted when he was putting together a lead sheet online. Verse one is off, but generally close. Verse two and the chorus are a hoot!

Verse 1:
These days life goes like this,
Wake up take it off of some list,
Gotta be a little something more than this in the bottom of my coffee cup
I keep up false call in the back of my mind,
White sand, sunshine, and you shining like a brand new diamond
That's keeping me from giving up, thinking that I've had enough

Verse 2:
I was a home beast with a cool tan,
And a half mop out in the back of my hand
When I was laughing I was making plants
But I didn't laughed when I found you
There's a heaven baby all to prove, You make me...

Chorus:
Feels something like summertime, tough down and nothin' but time
Radio is on and you are by my side, feels something like summertime
And first romance and that first blown kiss, bearing nothing better than this
And it's like a beach blanket and a bottle of wine
Feels something like summertime

Thank you, whoever posted that awful attempt at the lyrics. My family sure got a kick out of them!

That's Where I Left It

2009-11-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

I've had a bit of trouble getting into the holiday spirit this year. Maybe it's because we've been so busy. It probably has something to do with all the hot weather we've been having. It may also be due to the fact that baseball season never ends now that we have a boy playing travel ball.

Whatever the reason, I've been slow getting going this year. I was happy to put out the Halloween decorations in October because we had house guests. I dutifully switched them out for the Thanksgiving decorations on November 1st because that's what you're supposed to do. I've had trouble, Red Cup and all, kicking into Christmas time though. I started our Christmas letter, purchased my Christmas cards and have even picked up a present or two, but I haven't really been able to jump on board the Christmas train.

That is, until today. Today was absolutely perfect.

I should have known when I got up that it was going to be a good day; it was really cold this morning. That always makes me terribly happy. When I left the house a little after 9am, it was still cold enough to warrant a bit of layering and two shirts.

I then proceeded directly to Starbucks and purchased my four-point-latte. It was still super cold outside after I got it, so it made the already perfect coffee goodness all that much better.

Latte in hand, I walked a few doors down and entered (insert angels ooo-ing here) Target. Frankly, it started out like any other Target trip; I had a list of various household and miscellaneous items to purchase. Strangely though, no, magically, something started to happen as I wandered through the store: I started paying attention to all of the Christmas items on the end caps. I took the time to really look at things, to ponder what I would like to get people this year. By the time I reached the Christmas section in the back, I was fully overcome with holiday spirit and I was singing along with the Christmas tunes!

I ended up buying a few presents while I was there. I even purchased a Christmas cd to add to my collection. After all, one can never have too much Christmas music. I highly recommend the cd, it's lots of fun! It's the soundtrack to a great Christmas movie...

So it may have taken me a while to get in the spirit, but I finally did and now Christmas season is in full swing. Oh, don't worry, we'll still take the time to enjoy Thanksgiving; it won't get lost. But Christmas season is here folks, and I have fully embraced it. Apparently, I'd just left my Christmas spirit at Target! Thank you, you big red bulls eye, for keeping an eye on it for me until I came to retrieve it.

Four

2009-11-06T23:15:00.000-08:00

As much as I hate to admit it (rather, I hate the need for the admission), I have made the decision to do something about my current state of health. This week I re-joined Weight Watchers. Something needed to be done and since it worked for me a number of years ago, I decided to try it again.

You know how it goes; all foods/beverages have a point value and you are allowed to consume a certain number of points per day. It's nice in that you can have whatever you want, but the points really do disappear quickly.

This brings me to my problem with the number four.

Four is the number of points that my morning latte from Starbucks contains. FOUR. That doesn't seem fair at all! I don't get that many points in a day and it seems completely insane that I should have to spend four of them right off the get-go with my coffee.

I know what you're thinking: Skip the latte. But that's just silliness. Of course I'm going to have the latte. I'm just going to gripe about it every day. Four is a ridiculous amount of points for my non-fat, decaf vanilla latte!

'Nuff said. (For now!) :-)

My Fairy Tale Life

2009-11-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

Today I feel like Goldilocks.

I'm not having a problem with porridge, chairs or beds. The issue is with my pillow.

We were way overdue for new pillows; I'm pretty sure that my hubby's pillow was as flat as it could be and mine wasn't far behind. I got an ad in the mail the other day that Penny's was having a killer sale, so I went and purchased new pillows for the whole family. Unfortunately, I just can't seem to get mine right.

The first one that I got home was too small. I accidentally got a standard one instead of a queen. I promptly took that one back and purchased the appropriate size.

I then realized that the one I'd brought home was too hard. Now I know it said "firm" on the label, but I really did want some support so I thought that was the one to go with. It isn't. It is way too hard! There's no give in it at all; it holds my neck at a very awkward angle and makes my back hurt.

What next? Well, if "firm" isn't right, the next logical choice is "medium", right? Nope. I can't use that one...that one is way too soft and gives me no support whatsoever. My head just sinks!

Seriously, getting the right pillow shouldn't be this much work. I could take the Goldilocks approach; she ran down the stairs, opened the door, ran away into the woods and never returned. Somehow that doesn't seem like the best option though. I guess I'll keep looking for a pillow that works for me.

We Are of Peace. Always.

2009-11-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

While I'm definitely selective, I can be a bit of a SciFi geek from time to time. With that in mind, last night was huge.

I can't tell you how excited I was when I found out that they were remaking "V". I loved the Original Miniseries, the Final Battle and even the terribly campy series. My dad and I never missed an episode and we had the VHS recordings of many of them. I should also mention that for two Halloweens in a row, I went out as "V" characters.

So last night, we sent the kids upstairs at around 10:30pm, I settled under my cozy blanket on the couch, we found "V" on our dvr list and hit play.

And.....

I loved it! Sure, it's campy, just like the old ones were, but it was awesome!

Morena Baccarin totally worked as Anna. I was a bit worried because Jane Badler was such a perfect Diana, but they did a good job with the new character. Erica and Jack did well (presumably) representing Julie and Donovan. We have an alien traitor, a resistance forming and a teenage human/alien love story budding...all good stuff. And who doesn't love Alan Tudyk?

The only thing that bugged me slightly was that they kept calling them "the V's". I would have preferred referring to them as "the visitors" as they did back in the day, but that's minor and I'm willing to overlook it.

All in all, I give it two thumbs up (I'd award more if I had more thumbs) and I'm hooked. I will no longer be taking phone calls, texts or emails on Tuesday nights from 8pm - 9pm. I'll be channeling my preteen/teenage self and watching a ridiculously-awful-yet-terribly-fabulous TV series. :-)

I Love Surprises

2009-11-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

Today I had a coffee related blog prepared. It's kind of a grumpy blog, I was in a mood. My plan was to drop John off at school, stop for a cup of coffee and then come home and vent to all of you.

All of that changed, however, when I walked in to Starbucks to get my coffee.

I had no idea that today is Red Cup Day! I celebrate this day every year but somehow I missed that today is the oh-so-glorious return of my dear friend, the Red Cup. What a needed surprise this morning!

Tomorrow you still may get the grumpy blog, but for today, I am going to celebrate the joining of two of my favorite things: Fall and Red Cups.

Uncharacteristically Me

2009-11-02T11:19:00.000-08:00

If you've been around me very much, you know that I hate to be late. In fact, I usually consider myself late if I'm not where I need to be at least 10 minutes early. I've never been late to church. My kids have never been late to school. We're not late to sports, lessons, appointments... I'm not late!

That is (insert BIG sigh here), until now.

Being November 1st, yesterday was beginning of NaBloPoMo and since it's now 11:30am on November 2nd, clearly I'm running behind. I participated last year, I even did it in 2006 back when I was blogging on MySpace (do you even remember MySpace?).

Several times yesterday I thought about it and was kicking around the idea of trying it again this year. I even read posts of some of my buddies who are participating. I just figured that I'd do it later.

What's that? You ask what was so occupying of my time yesterday that I never got around to blogging? Well, there was Matt's 7:15am baseball game. Then church. Then lunch. Then, well, then came the important stuff: watching football, snoozing on the couch, farming, whipping up food in Cafe World, making (real) dinner, watching the World Series, watching a movie with the kids, taking down Halloween decorations and putting up Thanksgiving decorations. See? My day was just packed! :-)

All that to say, this year NaBloPoMo for me begins on November 2nd. I have no idea what you're going to get from me; life is flying by at an alarming speed and my brain feels quite mushy most of the time. I was promised a few visits by the Starbucks Fairy if I do this though, so that alone will make it worth the effort of trying to think of something to write about every day.

Anyhow, here's to trying! See you tomorrow.

Nicknames

2009-06-19T17:17:00.000-07:00

I've had many nicknames over the years; I don't think any have made me giggle quite so much as one that I just received this week.

There's a boy on John's All Star team that John has never played with before so he really doesn't know our family. All he knows is that for the All Star season, I'm the lady that's his "team mom". For paperwork, certifications, uniforms, jackets, etc. he has to go through me.

To get the proper mental picture, you should know that this 14 year old is about the same size as my husband, if not a bit taller, and he has a visible mustache going.

Every time he calls for my attention, I snicker a bit inside. In the most polite voice that a 14 year old can muster, he kindly calls out...

"Mrs. Team Mom?"

I love it.

Return of the Jedi

2009-06-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it's more like Return of the Blog.
Okay, and the quote that I'm about to share is actually from A New Hope.
But still, you get my drift...

My oldest son, John, is starting high school this fall and he's trying out for the football team. (How it all came about is kind of a neat story, but I'll save that for another day.) Football camp started this week, and the coach had said that Wednesdays would be "light days" to give the muscles a break. So yesterday was Yoga day.

While I'm reasonably certain that no weird, yoga voodoo took place, John thought that the instructor's quiet voice and all of the "breathe in and out" stuff was goofy. This is what he had to say about it on the way home:

"During Yoga today, I wanted to shout out 'Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.' "

I'm glad that he didn't. I'm also glad that he knows his Star Wars so well.

1992

2009-02-13T12:36:00.000-08:00

You know, someone really dropped the ball. There aren't really any good '92 pics either! I found a couple that I can share with you though...

That sweet ride that I mentioned in my 1991 post? Yep, it got popped. I was on my way home from work and a lady ran a red light and hit me. I spun around through the intersection, turned several circles and the slammed into the center divide a little ways down the road. It was quite the experience. Someone called the paramedics and they came and took me to the hospital in an ambulance (my first ride in one of those!), and by the time we got home from the hospital about 8 hours later, the lady that hit me had already called and reported it as a hit and run...that I hit her!

Lots of glass...

We brought home the parts that had fallen off...

Apparently I brought home some of the other lady's parts, too. She was driving a 4 Runner.

In June of 1992, I graduated from high school. Sigh. Don't know where all of the cap and gown pictures are. After the ceremony, we had a party at my grandma's house. These are my cousins. All three of them. No wait! I have four; one wasn't there.

Things to note about this picture:

1. I'm wearing a gold necklace that Grandma and Granddad gave me for my 16th birthday. Between the time I received it in 1991 and 2005(ish), I only took it off a handful of times. Even now, I probably wear it 90% of the time.

2. I have acrylic nails. Sometimes I miss them.

3. No, my legs aren't normally that shiny. I was wearing nylons. Remember those?

That's all I've got for '92. Thanks for checking in with me...I'll see you soon!

2.11.09

2009-02-11T14:58:00.000-08:00

I've been sitting here at the computer most of the day; I just now glanced at the calendar that sits beside me.

2.11.09

This means that in exactly two months, I will have a teenager.

I'm kind of freaking out.

Seriously.

By The Numbers

2009-02-10T11:23:00.000-08:00

Well, Crayl gets points for creativity! Today's Ten on Tuesday list is a numbered list. Here we go...

One. The number of times (besides childbirth) that I've been hospitalized. While I do have some physical issues and I get frustrated with them from time to time, I have truly been blessed. God is good.

Two. The number of children that I have. I adore my boys. Again, God is good. I wouldn't know what to do with a girl; He knew that and he gave me boys. Sure, they drive me nuts sometimes, but I am always very thankful for them.

Three. The number of places I've lived. In my life. Ever. While I'm starting to feel a change coming and I have no idea what the future holds for us, I'm quite thankful for the stability that I've always had.

Four. The number of plants that are actually living out front. I got tired of the barren wasteland, so I planted a few things. So far, so good. When I look out the kitchen window, I smile.

Five. The number bags of chocolate chips in my fridge. I bought a ton of them while they were on sale at Christmas time, so now I have everything I need to make cookies if my sweet tooth suddenly gets the best of me. Yay for planning ahead! (I'm actually thankful for the sale prices, too. Chocolate chips can get pricey!)

Six. The number of coffee mugs that I have. Andy has his own, the kids have their own; these six are mine. It's fun each morning to, depending on my mood, select just the right mug for the day.

Seven. The number of months that I've been on the Little League Board of Directors. While it's a lot of work and at times I'm overwhelmed, I'm happy to be involved in something that is such a big part of my boys' lives. It's also a great way to get to know the men that are coaching and working with the kids!

Eight. The number of sweatshirts that are in my rotation. Each one not only keeps me warm, but has specific memories attached to it. I have no willy-nilly sweatshirts...they're all significant.

Nine. The number of days until my birthday! Yay!

Ten. The number of noodles that I just made for my lasagna. Why ten? Well, the nine to go in the pan and the extra one to munch on while I'm putting the whole thing together. This one's actually a trifecta of thankfulness: thankful for the noodle itself in all of it's yummy goodness, thankful for lasagna in general and thankful that now dinner is done!

See you next Tuesday!

Only Mostly Dead

2009-02-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

"Your blog is dead."

My husband has spoken this phrase several times over the past week upon discovering that I haven't kept up with my blog.

It's not that I don't want to; it's just a time thing. Every day is flying by right now and I'm so very busy. In the morning I remind myself that I need to set aside some blog time, it's usually on my To Do list. However as they days roll on, I don't seem to be able to fit it in. It's funny... I always do fine in November when participating in NaBloPoMo. For some reason, it's harder to stick with it at other times of the year.

Maybe I'm trying too hard. Maybe I'm expecting grand and glorious things each day and when that doesn't happen, I give up all together. Maybe just a simple ponderable can indeed be enough sometimes.

With that in mind, here's one for you to think about today:

Why is it that people, drivers specifically, turn into absolute morons when it rains?

It's everywhere on the news, "...the freeways are just packed...", "...it's a disaster out there, give yourself extra time...", "...the rain is causing huge delays...", "...accidents delay drivers for hours...". You get a little bit of water in San Diego and it's like it's the end of the world! Every news channel has a headline that reads, "Storm Watch 2009" or something equally ridiculous. People everywhere are complaining about it like they haven't seen the sun in over a decade.

Then there are the drivers themselves. Occasionally you get an idiot that thinks he can zip around and he spins out causing everything around him to slow down. More often than not though, it's the other way around; people drive like the rain has made their vehicles physically unable to reach speeds greater than 40 mph.

I love the rain; I adore it. But sometimes I really hate going out in because of what it does to everyone else out there.

Just remember: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have not been loosed, Armageddon has not begun and Ripley has not brought any Aliens back to the planet. It just rained...for a few days...it'll probably only do it a few more times this entire year! I'm pretty sure we're all going to be just fine.

Ten on.....Wednesday?

2009-01-28T12:17:00.001-08:00

Yes, I know...I'm late. It's been a crazy week around here and I didn't get this up yesterday. Better late than never, though, right?

Per Crayl's instructions, I submit ten silly or odd (some really aren't quite so odd) things that make me happy:

1. Mary Poppins. That movie always makes me happy.

2. Office Supply Stores. Glorious.

3. My Carmex. Not a brand that I would normally buy; my sister-in-law picked it up for me when we were in Palm Springs this past October. When I see it on my nightstand, I am reminded of such happy times.

4. Gravy. Specifically, when it comes out right. Whenever I make it, I kind of hold my breath and keep my fingers crossed...so many things could go wrong! Last night, I rocked!

5. Alphabetized DVDs. I know that this was an example that Crayl gave, but it is true; they must be alphabetized. Even on Christmas morning, after someone has received a new DVD, I can't just set it on the shelf. I need to switch things around until it has it's place.

6. Seeing somewhere in Germany or Italy that we visited show up on TV. Andy and I always yell out, "We were there!" It makes me smile.

7. Mail. A sure way to make me happy is to send me something.

8. Seat Warmers. I love that my Sequoia has a butt warmer.

9. When someone (anyone) helps me with the dishes without being asked.

10. Espresso Truffle. My new favorite holiday drink at Starbucks was permanently added to the menu. Yippee!

Sniff, Sniff

2009-01-26T09:14:00.001-08:00

Last night I was in a hurry to get out the door.

While the kids were at Awana, Andy watched a movie and I spent the time working on a photo album. We cut it pretty close and I knew that we needed to get going so that we weren't late to pick them up.

I changed clothes, we got outside and into the car when I realized that I needed to get John a shirt. We were planning to go to In n Out to grab dinner, and he doesn't like to wear his Awana shirt out and about (I don't blame him). I exclaimed something about not getting there on time, jumped out of the car, ran back into the house and headed up to the boys' room.

I hadn't actually been in their room all day...I quickly discovered that it was a mess. There were clothes everywhere! (I think there's something in the eleven and twelve year old brain that makes it impossible to use a hamper.)

Still in a hurry, I headed over to John's dresser, looked around on the floor, picked up the first half crumpled shirt that I found and...I sniffed it! Yep, I totally did. It was passable, so I ran out the door and we headed off for the rest of our evening.

As I was thinking about this later, two things really bothered me.

1. That I actually did the Sniff Test. I mean, really...who does that? College guys in 80's movies? Seriously. I have no idea what possessed me to sniff a shirt from the floor when I could have easily opened his third drawer and pulled out a clean shirt.

2. Even more disturbing to me is the fact that I have a child old enough and big enough that I have to do the sniff test. How did this happen? When did John get taller than me? When did he start turning into a man? Where did my baby go??

Sigh. Time. It just keeps on ticking....

1991, With Apologies

2009-01-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

I'm terribly sorry, readers. I don't have any pictures of 1991. I just looked through the album and really...I've got nothing. There are only three pictures there and none of them are blog-worthy. It's possible that my mom has some; if I find some at her house, maybe we'll revisit 1991 next Friday.

As for what I did in '91, there were a few events:

I turned 16.

I got my first job; I worked for an ENT.

I had a boyfriend.

I got a car; a sweet, 1991 Ford Escort.

It seems like I should have some pictures to prove all of that. Sadly, no. This week, you're just going to have to take my word for it.

Once again, I offer my deepest apologies.

January 21, 1995

2009-01-21T13:24:00.000-08:00

At exactly this moment, fourteen years ago....

This girl...

...and this boy...

...became husband and wife.

I love you, Andy.

Random Thankfulness

2009-01-20T23:45:00.000-08:00

I don't do random very well; nor do I do spur of the moment. I like to plan and organize and lay things out. However, my buddy challenged me (and you too!) to come up with ten things, without a particular theme, that I'm thankful for. So here you go:

1. My red, Swingline stapler. It sits near me on my desk and makes me happy.

2. 9 Days. That's how long I have to wait until my braces come off. Can't wait! SO thankful!

3. Mondays Off. I think that every Monday should be a day off. The work week should be Tuesday through Friday.

4. Cows. I'm such a red meat eater, I'm very thankful for cows.

5. When It's Quiet Outside. We have noisy neighbors with stupid noisy yappy dogs. I love the rare occasion when all is quiet and I can hear the wind blowing through the trees.

6. The internet. Need I say more?

7. Slippers. I wore them all day.

8. The Smell of Rain. Tonight when I was going to Blockbuster, I could totally smell the rain coming. One of my favorite smells...

9. Jeff and Jer. They've been making me laugh for a lot of years...

10. Never A Dull Moment. It's my face scrub from Origins. I feel so clean and refreshed after I use it, and it smells so wonderfully yummy! Makes me feel happy!

Happy Tuesday!

1990

2009-01-16T11:18:00.001-08:00

I've got quite a few photos to share with you today. A word of caution before we dive in; you are about to witness, along with some fun pictures, an abundance of green. Green walls, green appliances, green curtains, green carpet, green-ish linoleum... My folks purchased their house in the 70's, and these pictures were clearly taken before the remodel! Anyhow, on with the show...

Since my last two posts included Winter Camp photos, I thought I'd sneak one in of camp in 1990. It was so cool; someone made a mistake and overbooked the place. Since we were the last to arrive (yes, we were late) we were placed in one of the vacant "staff apartments". We had so much fun! We went to a grocery store in town and bought stuff so that we could fix our own meals instead of eating camp food. This was spaghetti night.

I received my first dozen roses this year. They were delivered to me at school. Loved 'em.

I started 10th Grade. Apparently, I stood out here every year for Mom to take a picture...

I went to Homecoming. I don't have a full body shot from the front, so I thought I'd show you the back. You can just imagine what the front looked like. Frankly, I think I like the back better, butt bow and all!

Displaying a clear lapse of judgment, I was a pumpkin for our youth group Halloween party. What the heck was I thinking???

On a sad note, Taffy (my wonderful dog!) died in July of 1990. She was seriously the best dog ever. We'd had her since I was 5 years old...it was pretty hard on all of us. We all loved her so very much. This photo wasn't taken in '90, probably several years earlier, but it's one of my favorites.

While Taffy could never be truly replaced, we did move on. In November of '90 we couldn't resist bringing home these sweet sisters. This was taken the night we brought them home. Ruddy is on the left, Dusty is on the right.

It was clear from the beginning that Dusty was going to take an easy-going, relaxed approach to life...

...and that we'd have to keep our eyes on Ruddy! Yes, that's my nose in her mouth.

I'm not really sure why, but for some reason we all thought that my Granddad needed a dog too. So, in December we told him that we were all going out Christmas shopping. Mom, Dad, Grandma and I piled into the car and headed out. We brought him home a puppy. It was the best thing we could have done! Widget was his best friend until he died in 1998; they did everything together. The night he died, I'm totally not kidding, she curled up and went to sleep in his room like she was waiting for him to come back. I'm so glad we bought her!

Hope you enjoyed 1990; it was a good year. See you in 1991!

The 4th

2009-01-15T07:54:00.000-08:00

My friend called me out; I had to do it.
Here are the rules:

1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer
2) Select the 4th picture in the folder
3) Explain the picture
4) Tag 4 people to do the same

This is from almost five years ago; it's at John's 8th birthday party. (He's on the right.) Can you believe how little he was? And how about Matt (on the left), he's only six!!! Such sweeties! We're at the club, having a pool party complete with hot dogs, juice boxes, Doritos and cupcakes.

Sadly, John's two best buddies don't live here anymore. Jacob (in the orange) moved to Yuma less than a year after this was taken; I think they're in Palm Desert now, but I don't have an address. Justyn (blue shirt) lives in Hawaii now. He competes in triathlons; he's actually quite good. We're keeping our eye on him, I think big things are ahead!

Okay, I've done it. I'm not going to tag four people, but I will call upon Amy at Reality or a Reasonable Facsimile Thereof and Jaime at The Coffman Crew. We'll see if they respond!

Hooray For H!

2009-01-13T10:03:00.001-08:00

I have come full circle. I started a while ago (well, 25 weeks ago!) with the letter I and now I've come around to H. So unless I can think of another series to start, this could be my last Ten on Tuesday.

So, for your enjoyment, ten H things that I am thankful for...

1. Habits. I am such a creature of habit; I thrive on habits and routines.

2. Happy Days. A great show; always fun.

3. Hebrew Nationals. My hot dog of choice. In fact, the only hot dog I'll eat!

4. Hope. "In every pothole, there is hope." Amen!

5. Half Orders. Most of the time, a half order is enough. I'm pleased when that option is available.

6. Holiday Inn. One of my must-see Christmas movies each year.

7. History. I'm a history geek.

8. Halloween. It is the official start of the holiday/decorating season. I love Halloween!

9. "Happiness." The final song of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. Perfection.

10. Heath Ledger as the Joker. I liked him in many of his movies, but I honestly didn't see what all the hullabaloo was about his last film. I mean, face it...none of the Batman movies are that good. However, once I saw The Dark Knight, I changed my tune. Heath is absolutely brilliant as the Joker, brilliant.

And with that, my alphabet is complete.

"There's an avalanche a-coming, and I do not feel prepared!"

2009-01-11T18:52:00.000-08:00

I'm sure that I will set out to do a great many things in 2009, some of which will be successful, others which my not turn out exactly according to plan. There is one thing, however, that I will not fail on this year...

I will never not know the date!

Observe...

I have three, count them...three calendars sitting next to me at my desk. I thought about putting one or two of them elsewhere, but since I spend so much time at my desk, I really wanted them here so that I can enjoy them all.

The one on the left is a calendar of Rome that I purchased when I was there in June. Each month has a different site, I was at all of them! It'll be fun to remember.

The one in the middle is one that I've wanted for several years. It's fabulous quotes from The Office. AC got it for me for Christmas. Each morning I'm quite excited at seeing what's next.

Finally, on the right we have a calender of Berlin. It's similar to the Rome calendar except that it's, well, Berlin! Again, I picked it up when I was there this summer. I think there are two sites out of the twelve that we didn't make it to, this month's being one of them. Still, fun memories.

In closing... my house may not be cleaner at the end of the year than it is now, I may not be thinner, I may not be rich, but darn it - I'll know the date!

p.s. A million bonus points to the first person who tells me what movie my title quote is from. Without looking it up!!! :-)

1989

2009-01-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

While I'm not back to full blogging form, I do have a few offerings for you from 1989. Some are a bit different this time, they don't all have me in them. They're all special to me though; I hope you enjoy them.

I mentioned to you in my 1988 post, I was finally old enough for Youth Group. Well, one of the perks? Snow Camp!!! Man, we had fun. Some might say a bit too much fun...we almost didn't get to come back the next year! he he he

Same snow camp. This was the first time that I'd ever been in falling snow. I will never forget how beautiful it was.

(The two hunky guys certainly added to the fun! Sadly, I don't recall much about them. I think the one in the puffy jacket was named Mike. Don't even remember the name of the other one.)

From the snow to the beach... In the summer of '89, the youth group went on a mission trip to Hermosillo, Mexico. Somewhere along the way (in Mexico), we stopped for two days of fun before getting to the missions work. We stayed in a condo right on the beach!

Back before Michael's was around, the big craft store in town was LeeWards. My mom and I got the bee in our bonnet to take a cake decorating class. This is my first cake. Not too shabby for a beginner, eh?

I've mentioned Bisbee before. In 1989, we found ourselves back for a family reunion. Pillows, jackets, kleenex, walkman. We're set!

For a while, my cousin, Brett, worked at the main Hershey site in Hershey, Pennsylvania. When he came out for Christmas in 1989, he loaded his car FULL of candy for us all. Seriously, I've never seen that much candy in my life. Grandpa was the lucky one who received the giant Hershey bar!

Since I posted a picture of Grandpa H. (my mom's dad), I also had to post a picture of Grandma and Granddad (my dad's folks). I have always liked this picture of them. I miss them so very much!!!

Talk about your hunky guys.... I didn't take this one, I didn't even know that I had it. It's got my (at the time) best friends' writing on the back so either she took it or it was given to her. My, how we were in love with John and Andy! If someone would have told me then that in six years I'd be married to the dreamboat in the white shirt, I'd have never believed them!

That's all I've got for today...see you in 1990!

From the F to the G

2009-01-06T07:36:00.000-08:00

I didn't post a list last week; I knew I wouldn't. It was the day we came home from vacation and by the time we got home and unpacked, I was wiped. Maybe now that the new year has come and we're out of vacation mode and back to real life, just maybe I'll get around to blogging more. Ha! We'll see!

For today, however, you get a treat! You get two lists; the F list that I missed from last week as well as today's G list. Enjoy!

Fabulous F Words:

1. Fireworks. A good fireworks display makes me happy inside.

2. Fried Chicken. I loooove fried chicken.

3. Farkel. Quite a fun game.

4. Family. I love my family. All 5 of them!

5. Friends. The TV show, the cheesy MWS song and most importantly, the ones that get me through the day.

6. French Fries. Life is better with french fries.

7. Football. I'm so sad that football season is almost over. Seriously, I love it that much.

8. Friday. Easily my favorite day of the week.

9. Facebook. A great way to keep in touch with everyone, especially the out-of-towners.

10. Fight Club. In my top ten, easily. Probably in my top 5...

And now, today's G list:

1. Gifts. I love to give gifts. Receiving them is fun too, but I really do love to give them.

2. Gaither Vocal Band. I know I'm a goofball, but I like good ol' southern gospel every now and then.

3. Games. I really do enjoy playing games. I wish AC did too...

4. Grapes. Super cold, red and seedless. Yum. (Or, as a friend suggested, aged in an oak barrel isn't bad either!)

5. Giraffes. One of my favorite zoo animals.

6. Google. I like to look up random things and see what comes up.

7. Gerbera Daisies. One of my favorite flowers.

8. "Great Caesar's Ghost!". One of my grandma's often-used exclamations. Makes me smile.

9. Gibson, Mel. This may be technically cheating a bit, but I really do love him, so I had to include him!

10. Germany. Loved my trip over there this past summer, many memories were made. I can't wait to go back.

Whew! I made it through two lists!! Check out Crayl's list to see what other people are thankful for today!

Excellent E's

2008-12-23T18:52:00.001-08:00

It's not my best list ever, but I did manage to find ten E words that I'm thankful for...

1. Earrings. I like 'em.

2. Eggplant. The color, not the vegetable.

3. Early. I am always early.

4. (The) Emperor's New Groove. A super fun movie.

5. Easter. The celebration of the Resurrection, the traditional meal, the strawberry shortcake, The Ten Commandments and occasionally my son's birthday. I love Easter.

6. Eggo Waffles. I don't like normal waffles, but every now and then I get a hankerin' for an Eggo.

7. Effervescence. I know a terrible joke that starts with the word effervescence, so whenever I hear the word, I giggle.

8. Efficiency. It pleases me.

9. Elliptical. My cardio machine of choice.

10. Eskimo Pies. Yum.

Check out Crayl's site to see what other people are thankful for today!

1988

2008-12-19T22:02:00.000-08:00

How is it that these Fridays keep coming so fast? It seems like these days I'm only blogging my list on Tuesday and my Flashback! Oh well, hopefully after the first of the year things will settle down a bit and I'll get back to writing regularly. Anyhow, for your entertainment, a few pictures from 1988...

Ah, here we are. I was in 7th grade, finally a part of ...drum roll please...youth group! I was the youngest in my circle of friends, so my 6th grade year seemed to take forever, waiting until I could join them! In this picture, we're on our way to Winter Camp. Don't I look dressed for it? Earrings, layered look complete with shoulder pads...

What am I doing here, you ask? It was my thirteenth birthday; my grandparents took me out to dinner (where an older guy tried to send a drink over to me...that didn't go over so well with my grandma!) and while we were eating, my folks set up a surprise party for me at Grandma and Granddad's house. Apparently Mom or Dad pulled out a camera and caught me spinning around once I realized that we were coming back to a house full of people.

Seventh grade, seventh period, Study Hall, skinny! Man I wish I still looked like that!!!

My best friend and I, playing the offertory for church. I'm the one playing the piano. We did Thy Word (Amy Grant). Honestly, we sounded pretty good...

Here we are, at our friend's older sister's wedding. We were the punch bowl people, or cake people or something like that. Oddly enough our friend and her sister are AC's cousins, so now I'm related to them. Funny how things turn out sometimes.

First day of 8th grade. This was kind of a big day for me. From Kindergarten through 7th grade, I'd gone to a private school; this was my first day of, gasp, public school. It only lasted one semester.

Remember that talent show in 1987 where Debbie and I were the do-op girls? Same church, same talent show, only this year it's Dana and I doing a Laurel and Hardy number. It was quite fun. I don't know why I didn't take the time to slick my hair back like she did though, it would have looked so much better!

This is the only Thanksgiving that I've ever spent away from my family... I'm not sure why we did this on Thanksgiving weekend, but for some reason, I went with Dana and her folks on a quick trip to San Francisco. We had Thanksgiving dinner at a Sizzler. This picture has always made me smile. I really, really like it. A few years back, AC and I were in San Fran with the kiddos, and we have a picture of me and the boys sitting on the wall about where the guy in the blue jacket is standing.

See? Horrible pic of me, but I had to show the proof! :-) (Summer of 2005)

I had to post this one for two reasons. One, well, Dana and I for some reason were very happy to find a Rice-A-Roni trolley car. And two, well, see for yourself....

In August of 1995 AC and I had been married for seven months and we were on vacation. We found out in Oregon that I was pregnant with John. On our way back, we stopped in San Francisco, and I really wanted to find the trolley car that Dana and I had posed by. It wasn't the same one, but still, it was a Rice-A-Roni car!

Wow. That was like a double bonus; pictures from 1988, 1995 and 2005. Sweet! I'd like to think that next Friday I'll post, but really, it'll be the day after Christmas and we're getting up at 3am to drive to Monterey. It might not happen. But stick with me! I'll be back, I promise!