Five Peas in a Pod

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

2011-12-04T17:25:00.001-08:00

The Tree Hunt

Off to find the perfect tree....

Found it!

Decking the halls...


Cici gets into the holiday spirit

Our family plaque now wears a Santa hat

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care

Bows of holly (or some type of greenery)

the advent calendar


creating snowflakes!

Trimming the Tree

This ornament was made for Scratch when he was a child

Adding the star

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum!

Schmobie Turns Five!

2011-11-27T14:44:00.001-08:00

Schobie is very excited about his new garbage truck!


He also got a new garage/ramp for his matchbox cars. Here he is carefully looking over the instructions.

And assembling the garage! Afterward, he alternated playing with the garage and with the truck for the rest of the day!

Cutest idea ever--at preschool, Schmobie holds a globe and goes around the "sun" (a candle in the center of the matt) for each year of his life. After each rotation, his teacher read a little blurb about that year and showed the class a picture of Schmobie at that age. You can tell Schmobie is trying to hide a smile.

The Church of INGTWAI

2011-11-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

People sometimes ask me what my new belief system is now that I no longer believe in Mormonism. My answer is the same now as it was two years ago: I'm not going to worry about it. I belong to the Church of I'm Not Going To Worry About It (INGTWAI). I am an Ingtwai-ist.

The Articles of Faith of The Church of Ingtwai:

1) I believe that there may be a god, or multiple gods, or none at all. But I'm not going to worry about it.

2) I believe that sin is a highly subjective term. I'll accept the consequences if my actions. Sometimes, despite our best efforts and regardless of our belief systems, shit happens. But I'm not going to worry about it.

3) I believe that it is very odd that a loving Heavenly Father would require another child if his to suffer on my behalf in order for me to be "worthy" to live with him. I'm really not all that bad. But as I don't believe that to be the case, I'm not going to worry about it.

4) I believe that the first principles of Ingtwai are as follows: first, faith in myself and in my loved ones; second, forgiveness. A far as any "saving" ordinances go, I'm not going to worry about it.

5) I believe that it is reasonable, and often wise, to question authority. I believe that leadership should be based on merit and skill, and not gender, race, social standing, or the ability to toe the company line.

6) I believe that no one has a fucking clue what the primitive church was like, as the Neanderthals didn't leave notes. As such, I'm not going to worry about it.

7) I believe that the placebo effect is real. Dreams, visions, "miraculous" healings, mass hallucinations, and "warm fuzzies" have occurred in every religion/cult/belief system/practice. If I or a loved one gets sick, I will trust in modern medicine and the body's ability to heal itself in as much as it's possible; I will try very hard not to worry.

‎8) I believe the Bible to be the word of men. Men with a misogynistic, ethnocentric worldview. I believe the Book of Mormon to be a work of pure fiction.

9) I believe in the scientific method. The scientific method has revealed and will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to Earth and the universe.

10) I believe that a god who favors particular peoples and nations over others is not worthy of worship. As I don't believe such a god exists, I'm not going to worry about it.

‎11) I claim the privilege of worshiping, or not worshiping, Almighty God(s) according to my own conscience, and recognize that others have this same privilege. I believe that such worship, or non-worship, should never infringe upon the rights of others.

12) I believe in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law. I believe in working to change outdated and biased laws. I'm averse to being subject to kings or rulers, or anyone else, for that matter. I believe in doing what I can, and not worrying about what I can't.

13) I believe in being honest, benevolent, non-judgmental and relaxed. I question the admonition of Paul: a healthy dose of skepticism is never a bad thing and some things really needn't be endured. Hope, however, is healthy. I'll give Paul that. If there is anything intelligent, rational, intriguing, or just plain fun, I seek after these things.

~ JS

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

Batman and the Joker

The Joker--a la Heath Ledger

Cici (right) with bff Jaime

The Candy Dance

Silly String!

Epic Silly String War

Red Nosed and Rosy Cheeked

2010-11-25T13:39:00.000-08:00

A winter wonderland it was not. It was, however, the first snow of the season, and as such, the kids were plenty excited! But what to do when there is barely 1/16th of an inch of crunchy, ice-like substance on the ground? Schmobie and his neighborhood friends had some ideas:

1) Snowbiking. A sport that would only be thought up in Oregon.

2) Sledding. Don't let a lack of snow stop ya!

3) Ice-stomping. Always an under 5 crowd pleaser.

4) Tossing up what little snow that you can gather together into the air.

5) Sipping dairy-free hot cocoa. (A personal fave!)

Despite the freezing weather (27 degrees is dang cold to us!), the older two were out-of-doors all day long as well. I didn't capture any pictures of Cici because she was hanging out at the park with friends.Grumble, grumble, growing up, grumble, independent, grumble, grumble, miss her sometimes...

Radio Heads

2010-11-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

Now that the kids are getting older, chauffeuring them around has turned into a war over control of the radio. We all have different tastes, it seems. I usually lose, because my kids CANNOT STAND my station, whereas sometimes I'm actually in the mood for one of theirs. :)

Can you match the person with the radio station? (two people like the same station...)

1. Scratch                 a. Top 40
2. Jadie b. Classic Rock
3. Cici                       c. NPR
4. Bugman                d. Alternative
5. Schmobie (yes, he has an opinion!)

[Edited to add: look for the answers Tues. night!]

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-17T07:32:00.000-08:00

In search of the perfect pumpkin...

We went a little crazy with the head cut-out thingies...

Happy belated halloween everyone!

New York, New York

2010-10-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

My sister D.Bo and her family currently live in Manhattan (what is it with that word? It just oozes sophistication.). Sure, they live way, way uptown, but it's Manhattan! As soon as we could afford it, I bought tickets for what I felt was a long overdue visit. Scratch and I decided that Cici was at the age where she would appreciate and enjoy the trip as well, so she came with. Cici was a great traveler and a very agreeable traveling companion! We had a blast.

Pre-trip AdventuresWell, just one little adventure. Or teeny story, anyway. Schmobie has no idea what New York is, but he likes to be included in things. So when Cici and I were packing, he decided to hide in my suitcase. Our little stowaway. His plot was foiled by my quick and discerning eye, however.

Around Town
In Manhattan, baby! Yes, I like saying it...
Skyscrapers in the financial district.
Waaayyy uptown. Washington Heights neighborhood. We always considered D.Bo the level-headed one, but this picture proves she's just as goofy as the rest of us.

Soooo, not sure what to say about this sculpture. It is in honor of the survivors of 9/11, but looks, as far as I can tell, like a gigantic balloon animal. Not even an animal--a gigantic balloon thingie. I don't get it.....

Our family's recession woes are over, but I see this building and go, "Grrr..."

Stocks, schmocks. Let's enjoy some New York pizza!!

This is as close as we got to the Statue of Liberty. Cici holds up a piece of garlic bread. Not quite a torch, but still an NYC draw.

Bliss. Battery Park's Esplanade at dusk.

View from D.Bo's window: the Hudson River and George Washington Bridge (which, according to wikipedia, is the world's busiest motor vehicle bridge).

Adventures Underground
Ah, the subway! My fave mode of travel.

Cici loves it too.

Wall art at the World Trade Center stop. Freaky...the whole station was lined with these mosaic eyes. ("I always feel like somebody's watching me...")

D.Bo's twins sleep the ride away...

Terrible picture here--but in the background you might be able to make out a guy standing on his head. We had a foursome of subway dancers on our train. I thought they were amazing--dancing and doing flips while the train was in motion. The actual New Yorkers were like, "Ho hum." The boys sent round a hat for tips and collected maybe a quarter. Jadie the tourist extraordinaire paid them a couple of dollars, however. (Sucker?) Hey, they earned it!

St. Paul's Cathedral
Opened in 1766, St. Paul's Chapel is Manhattan's oldest public building in continuous use. George Washington was inaugurated here. The church is across the street from the World Trade Center Complex. After 9/11, recovery workers received round-the-clock care within its walls. Several memorials are currently on display.
Cici looks at Japanese peace cranes. Shinto children from all across Japan sent these lovely paper links to 9/11 rescue workers.

A letter written to a 9/11 volunteer. There aren't many dry eyes in this chapel.

Times Square
On Broadway St.
A large gold hand. Hmm...

Cici and BB in front of the red steps. I don't get the red steps. Would someone like to explain the significance of the red steps to me? Thx!
Taxis. And more taxis.
The city that never sleeps indeed. (still more taxis...)

Broadway Babies
You can't go to New York without seeing a couple of shows! Well, at least, we can't!

Me, Cici, and D.Bo at Rock of Ages. Very fun, espec. for those of us who survived the 80s!

Cici and I at The Lion King.
The costumes were fantastical.

Central Park

We heart NY!
A man spray-painted in gold.
D.Bo and I enjoy the sunshine. Gorgeous day--low 70s!

Street acrobatics--these guys were amazing!! They had a whole comedy routine to go with their acrobatics as well.
"We risk our necks for your sick entertainment!" They said it, not me!
Yes, he walked all the way down a full set of stairs on his hands.

A saxophonist began playing a song from Dr. J and D.Bo's wedding. So they had to dance...w/ twins on hips...

The twins bring joy wherever they go.

Save the elm tree!

The Twins
And, last but not least, the real draw to New York City...my sister's twins Ike and BB.

l-r: Ike, Cici and BB. Does it get any cuter than this???

What's Up, Doc?

2010-09-27T05:01:00.000-07:00

Schmobie's new thing--munching on whole carrots. The bigger, the better!

Back to School

2010-09-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

Cici and Bugman are both attending middle school this year. Cici was looking forward to teasing Bug in the halls, but then came this surprise: as Cici was settling in to her elective class, a friend nudged her and said, "Isn't that your brother?" Sure enough, Bugman had just walked in. They share a class! Cici let out a whoop and went to hug Bugman. He rolled his eyes.

Bug, left, and neighborhood friend. Nice smile there, Bugman!

Cici's dressed for success!

I'm liking this same class thing--Cici was able to tell us a story about a comment that Bug made that made the class laugh and impressed the teacher. A spy--sweet!

The older two weren't the only ones off to school. This is Schmobie's first year in preschool. He was soooo excited to get started. The first day of his school, he got up at 7:00, quickly dressed, and then went out to stand by the bus stop. I was in the shower, the older kids were busy getting ready for school, so no one here had any idea he was gone. He was all by his lonesome, because there are actually no buses that pass through here anymore because of the new elementary school that is in walking distance. He must have remembered from previous years. Fortunately, a neighbor spotted him, and brought him home. Oh, Schmobie!

On the way to preschool, he kept saying, "I'm so excited." He settled in right away and hardly noticed when I said "bye." After preschool, he said this: "Mom, ask me how preschool was." So, obligingly, I asked, "How was preschool?" His response: "Goooood." It was hilarious. What a kid! I wish I had a picture of him that first day, but sadly, I was out of batteries.

Employed

2010-08-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

And finally, after a year and a half, the news we've been waiting to tell you--Scratch has found a job. A good job. A job he'll enjoy. A job that will provide for our family. Let the celebration commence!
...and the shopping!!

Thank you to all of our wonderful friends and family who have been so supportive throughout the last 18 months. Your kindness and generosity have deeply touched us. We literally could not have done this without you. We now can only hope to pay some of it forward.

2010 Family Reunion

2010-08-04T21:54:00.001-07:00

Every three years, Scratch's family gets together for a big reunion. Participants include my father-in-law and his one and only brother, their spouses, their kids and their kids' growing families. The first year we had a reunion was in 1998--there were 14 of us at that time. Since then, our numbers have swelled to 31 as spouses, significant others, and kids, kids and more kids have joined us. We always look forward to these reunions, and just wish they lasted longer!

For 2010, we met in Midway, Utah. Gorgeous!! Here's the crew on a hike:

This picture was just too cute to not include...

The pool was a hit. (Is a pool ever not a hit? --Bugman with Cousin G.)

Cici met her match in pure goofiness--Cousin M.

Scratch and his brother P take on Bugman and Cousin G.

Schmobie made a new best friend in his Uncle Nico. He (Schmobie) followed him (Nico) everywhere. Here he is "helping" him pack:

On our last night, we girls went to "Switzerland." (Midway is known for its Swiss heritage, and this hotel/shopping/eating complex capitalizes on that.)
Happy, skipping frauleins!

Fraus and frauleins. We visited an excellent bakery where I could have....water. It's all good--I've lost 14 lbs since going on this crazy diet! (And am feeling better all the time.)

And now, the part where I post a lot of pictures of a lot of relatives...(Grandpa and his brother are telling the group stories of life back when...)

We laughed, we cried, we learned all sorts of interesting things about our progenitors, and we vowed that next time, we'll meet together for a little longer. 2013, here we come!

The Most Beautiful Rest Stop in Idaho

2010-08-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

Life is full of surprises. Take this rest area just south of Boise:

A park-like oasis in the middle of the sagebrush prairie.
The boys relax... while Cici shakes out her legs.A pleasant way to embark on our summer travels!

The Curls! Are Gone!

2010-07-14T22:02:00.000-07:00

Oh yes.

For the summer, Bugman decided he wanted a radical change--short, spiky hair with red tips. Little bro followed suit:
They've got new attitudes to match their look as well. (Don't worry, the red isn't permanent. The attitudes, on the other hand...!)

Fun With Mimi and Poppa

2010-07-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad were in town recently. We had a wonderful visit with them, and now really miss them! Some highlights of their visit:

Berry Picking
Sparklers!
The Coast

Bye, Bye Yumminess!

2010-07-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

In my ongoing attempt to figure out WHY I feel like I'm 90 instead of 40 (and there ought to be a difference, no?), I recently took a diagnostic test to determine if I have any other food sensitivities. Although going gluten free has helped tremendously--I no longer feel the desire to crawl back in bed at 9:30am--I can tell that something is still just off (no jokes please!).

The results are in; I am highly reactive to the following foods:

anything dairy
soy
sugar cane
egg
cranberry
yeast
peanut
and, of course, gluten

So, essentially, my diet has been reduced to the fundamentals--fruits, veggies, meat, fish, poultry. Yay for me!

For those curious, here are some interesting articles on food sensitivities: http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/sc/0505/sc0505-allergies.html
http://www.balancedlivingmag.com/2005/March%20-%20April%202005/Food%20Sensitivities.htm

(As for the don't feed me joke above--replace the word "allergies" with "sensitivities" and you've got it right. It was too funny--and too sadly true--to resist!)

Today's lunch:I scrounged around in the fridge for something not on the "no go" list: fish, peas, green onions, tomatoes, sprinkled with raspberry vinegar, olive oil and salt. It was pretty tasty!

Schmobie Rides a Bike

2010-07-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

Three and a half, and look at him go! (As much as I want to label my child a prodigy, I have to be honest and give full credit to the wooden balance bike he's been riding for the last year.)

I love how his tongue is always sticking out.

See what I mean?

His new favorite pastime.

"Look, Mom! No hands!!" (Not to be outdone, big bro shows off a little.)

Gotta Dance

2010-06-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we went to Cici's dance recital. She did a fabulous job! It was fun to watch many of my friends' daughters perform as well. My, but what talented kids we have!

Cici is front and center.

So graceful--the ballet lessons are paying off...

I have to say--I love this costume!

With her bouquets--the OCD part of me wants to fix her bun.

Cici and Miss Jenny, her dance instructor

Mimi and Poppa are in town for a visit!

Schmobie and Bugman gamely sat through the whole show. The looks on their faces tell the whole story...!

Torn Meniscus

2010-06-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

I thought it was arthritis--I even wrote a post eons ago explaining about the arthritis in my knee--but it's not arthritis. The pain in my knee is getting worse and worse, and I finally decided it was time to address the issue with some seriousness, i.e., go to a doctor who'd actually order an MRI instead of just guessing. Well, the MRI results are in, and I have a torn meniscus. (View lovely illustration below.) (The meniscus, btw, is cartilage in your knee that serves as a cushion between bones in a joint. Ah, the things you learn when you are personally affected.)

While treatment for this type of injury is fairly standard--out-patient surgery, relatively quick recovery time, excellent prognosis--I'm disappointed because I'll be missing out on the Hood-to-Coast relay that I was training for. The relay goes from Mt. Hood to the Oregon Coast, encompassing gorgeous scenery. I was on a team with twelve other ladies (a walking team, btw, as running was out of the question for me), and we were going to have FUN! My friend Emily had created a rockin' soundtrack for our van, and I had loaded my mp3 player with great walking songs, and I was training almost nightly on the track near our home with Emily, Erin, and Heidi...but no more. (Hmm, interesting priorities: I listed music prep first, and then the training...yeah, that sounds about right!) But darn it! I was really looking forward to crossing the finish line with you guys!

Ah well, such is life. And you know what? I still think I'll cross the finish line with you all--even if it's for the last ten yards!
See ya in August, girls! Come hell, high water, or torn menisci!!!

Squatter

2010-06-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

Something else is enjoying my hanging flower baskets. A robin has nested among the blossoms. If you look closely at the center of the picture, you can see her tail sticking out. I'm not quite tall enough to peer in, even with a stool, but Scratch says there are three blue eggs in the nest. Welcome, feathered friend! You can squat in our basket any time.

UPDATE:
The baby chicks have hatched! We can just barely see their long necks and beaks as they chirp for food.

5th Grade Promotion

2010-06-17T12:29:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, we celebrated Bugman's last day as an elementary school student by attending his 5th grade promotion. Next year it's on to middle school for him (which is a whole other post...). We were excited and surprised when Bugman, along with a few classmates, won the President's Award for Educational Achievement.

from the website of the US Dept. of Education:

"The purpose of this award is to recognize students that show outstanding educational growth, improvement, commitment or intellectual development in their academic subjects but do not meet the criteria for the President's Award for Educational Excellence. This award should not be compared to the President's Award for Educational Excellence or be seen as a second tier award, for it recognizes a very different type of academic achievement. It is meant to encourage and reward students who work hard and give their best effort in school, often in the face of special obstacles to their learning."

I don't mention Bugman's Aspergers very often. To me and to those who know him, there is so much more to Bugman than any label could possibly suggest. But the truth is that he does have Aspergers, and as such, has very unique challenges in regards to his ability to learn and process information. That's not to say that he DOESN'T learn or process--this is a very bright boy here--but that it can be a struggle, particularly in the context of traditional education. So receiving this award was huge for him, and for us. Made his momma cry. He worked very hard, had a great year, and we are excited and hopeful for middle school.

Bugman is congratulated by his teacher, "tiny" Mr. G (how the principal introduced him).

Walking through the balloons. He was the only student to forget to pause to have his picture taken. Ah, Bugman....!

With his award--signed by President Barack Obama.

Update

2010-06-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd take a moment and update you all on some ongoing events in our household:

1) Scratch is still unemployed. He has come close, so very close, to securing a job a couple of times, but no deal. He still works hard every day hunting down openings and sending out resumes and cover letters. He also volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and is helping a friend with an interesting project that they hope will lead to something...here's hoping!

2) I'm enjoying my job at the toy store! The ladies I work with are nice and fun, the work is engaging, and I enjoy seeing and interacting with people from our community.

3) Going gluten-free has done wonders for me. I feel like I have my life back. I sometimes miss bread and other wheat products (like last night when my family had grilled cheese sandwiches and cookies--the meanies!), but the few times that I've eaten gluten have made me positively ill, and it's just not worth it.

Mother's Day

2010-06-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day, we went to a local arboretum. It was a gorgeous day--the kind best spent outdoors.

Scampering downhill...

Ponderosa pine cone--I think. Anyone care to Google it to make sure? Nah, me neither...

Glorious...

Rather large leaf.

Enjoying my day!

What a face! The cheeks, the curls!

We stumbled upon this stony (rocky?) sentiment...

Bugman added an explanation point.

I know--it's ugly where I live...

The kids who make my mother's day possible...

Blog Avoidance

2010-06-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

Cat's got my tongue lately...or my fingers, I suppose. I've been feeling blog pressure lately--got to be clever, funny, cute, interesting, something in order to post...

But honestly, why feel the pressure? I think I'll take a page from my dear sis and call it this a Non-blog. In her words (from the very first post of her *cough* non-blog):

This is not a blog. It's just a place... For pictures. Perhaps some commentary. Maybe a story or two, if there's anything significant to share. But since I don't blog and probably never will, it couldn't possibly be that.

Not that I have a problem with blogging. Quite the opposite, actually. I thoroughly enjoy following my friends & family on theirs. I love their great stories, interesting thoughts, adorable children, and this easy way to keep up on their lives. I admire them for consistently posting and updating and sharing. But I like how Jared put it when he said that, for us, keeping an up-to-date blog is just one more thing to feel bad about not doing, and we definitely don't need any more of those. Good thing this isn't a blog. ;)

(Then she went on to make it one of the most adorable, hilarious blogs. Um, non-blogs.) And so, I officially declare this space a non-blog for awhile. It's just a place that I'll share pictures, maybe a story or two... ;)

A Little Bit o' Loveliness

2010-05-14T11:03:00.000-07:00

My first purchase as an employed person. Surprisingly, it wasn't a book.

Rethinking Motherhood

2010-05-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

First off, I want to state that I do not mean this as an attack against stay-at-home moms. I have been a full-time stay-at-home mom for 5 years, and I know that it is a hard, hard job deserving of far more accolades than it gets. Many of you who read this blog are stay-at-home moms, and I think you are wonderful mothers and I applaud you. That said, I read an article about Motherhood today that resonated with me:

Lowering the Bar

When bad mothers give us hope.
By Julia Baird

When reporters told Doris Lessing she had won a Nobel Prize in Literature as she was hauling groceries out of a cab in 2007, she said: "I've won all the prizes in Europe, every bloody one, so I am delighted. It's a royal flush." Few would dispute that she is a brilliant writer. Her work is lucid, inspiring, and provocative. But it would be hard to argue that she was a brilliant mother. When she fled to London to pursue her writing career and communist ideals, she left two toddlers with their father in South Africa (another, from her second marriage, went with her). She later said that at the time she thought she had no choice: "For a long time I felt I had done a very brave thing. There is nothing more boring for an intelligent woman than to spend endless amounts of time with small children. I felt I wasn't the best person to bring them up. I would have ended up an alcoholic or a frustrated intellectual like my mother."

I like remembering women like Lessing on Mother's Day. They shock us now, those women who bucked convention and did things the way men have often done—just as selfishly and callously—denying maternity in a way that seems to defy nature. Take Dorothea Lange, the photographer who paid foster families to look after five of her children (and stepchildren) for months at a stretch while she traveled around California photographing migrant workers. Were these women bad mothers? Or talented, single-minded women who struggled to find ways to both create and give their children what they needed? They certainly make the rest of us seem outstanding—and put our ongoing, deafening, and dull debates about bad mothers in sharp relief. Today, women no longer need to escape their families to work or be happy—now they need to escape their own unrealistic expectations of what a good mother is. Guilt, judgment, and a distrust of female ambition are a hallmark of modern parenting, along with the literature about female fretting, which, over the past few years, has turned into a symphony of self-loathing. We spend more time with our children than women did in the 1950s, yet we consistently report higher levels of stress. Perplexingly, study after study has found that mothers are less happy than women without kids. And books about bad or uptight mothers are more anxious and defensive than defiant and liberating. Instead of giving the parenting police the bird on matters like food, sleep, work, and schools—or having a life—we write apologias. Haven't millions of years of evolution already determined that the vast bulk of mothers would sever their heads with an ax to protect their offspring? Enough. If you love your kids and are doing your best, if they are alive, safe, and sane, then your mind should simply be at ease.

Oddly, the more involved we are, the more guilty we have become. In the 19th century, women in Victorian England banished children to the nursery. In France, women farmed out their offspring to nursemaids so they could "continue to have social lives and sex with their husbands," says French philosopher Elizabeth Badinter. "We've always been mediocre mothers here." Badinter's bestselling book Le Conflit, la Femme et la Mère (The Conflict, the Woman and the Mother) has excited Europeans with her insistence that women should not let mothering make them miserable. She believes we are no longer oppressed by men; we are oppressed by our children. Badinter argues the insecurity of the modern workforce, and the prevalence of earth mothers who condemn disposable diapers, premade food, and cans of formula, have turned babies into tyrants: "We have passed from the troublesome child to the child-king." I don't agree with everything she says—and certainly the children are not to blame—but I love her boldness. Her insistence that women should be women first and mothers second is refreshing: unapologetic and confident. It's true that the impossible idea of a perfect mother has become a tyranny, and that we refuse shortcuts our grandmothers yearned for. Now that we are allowed to be more than mothers, we wonder if we have the time to be anything but mothers if we are to be truly good.

I recently asked my own mother—a woman of great grace and kindness—for one piece of advice about how to raise my children. She said we should love, accept, and forgive them—also teaching them, with luck, to love and accept us too. It's a calm model of parenting that has built into its core the idea of imperfection; theirs, ours, hers. Let's make 2010 the Year of Lowering the Bar. Or, perhaps, Going to the Bar. Happy Mother's Day.

~~~

Now, I'm not recommending that we all go off and live in different continents than our children for months/years at a time, but I can relate to the pressures of being a "perfect" mother. I feel this pressure is harmful for two reasons: 1) It seems to let fathers off the hook--if they are "providing for the family," they are doing their part, end of story, and 2) It doesn't allow for a woman to go, "You know what? I love my children, but I don't really want to be around them 24/7." It's interesting in the article how the author mentioned that today we spend more time with our offspring than women did in the 50's. I haven't checked her statistics, but it would seem that back then, kids were off running and playing outdoors. We are much more hands on today, for a variety of reasons, including safety and the myriad of children's activities that go on. In my own experience (and I realize that this isn't everyone's experience--nor do I believe that it has to be), I felt strongly about being a stay-at-home mother only to find that I'm not that talented at it (my talents lie elsewhere), I really don't find a lot of fulfillment in it, and that I also basically shot myself in the foot career-wise, when my family needed me to contribute financially.

Just my two cents.

Well, That Was Random!

2010-05-04T07:47:00.000-07:00

Schmobie loves to bring home huge stacks of books from the library. At night, we'll cuddle up together and read a few. Last night, I picked up a particularly interesting book to read and discovered that, lo and behold, it was written by an ex-boyfriend. Same highly unusual name, same home town, wife's name still the same (btw, he did not have a wife when we were dating, just to make that clear :-]). Isn't that random??!!

Any other stories of sheer randomness? Do share!!

For the Record

2010-04-29T21:07:00.001-07:00

A couple of people have wondered, so I thought I'd set the record straight. Contrary to what her comments may have portrayed, Cici wasn't at all upset about the "proper young lady" post. I had asked for her permission to show the pictures, and she was excited to see the end result. When she did, she and I were sitting beside each other, laughing, and then making our comments (she first logged on and commented, then I logged on and commented, etc). Her comments were tongue-in-cheek. Very fortunately for Scratch and me, Cici's a total free- spirit who doesn't get wrapped up with appearances. She's all about the fun. The post was a celebration of that. Oh yeah, she's a goofball--loud and proud.

Toy Store

2010-04-27T16:05:00.001-07:00

Exciting news: I got a job at a locally-owned toy store. I can't tell you how excited I am for this job. I know it's nuts, but this is one of my very favorite stores. I think I even posted about it once before. (Let me look through my archives for a moment....ah, found it. Look for Tuesday: The Toy Store.)

I start Friday--wish me luck!!

How to Raise a Proper Young Lady

2010-04-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

1. Hide the camera. Or this might happen:

2. Ban costumes. And wigs.
3. Limit contact with certain friends and family members.
...Especially that one brother of hers.
If these steps fail, realize you may have a hopeless case on your hands. And then realize that "proper" is over-rated anyway, especially if it prohibits such obvious joy.

Besides, think of the great blackmail material you have on hand for when she starts dating......

The Renegade of Funk

2010-04-06T14:19:00.000-07:00

An oldie but a goodie--Bugman on his 8th birthday.
My boy's got moves...

Our Beautiful Cici

2010-03-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

I love dance. I have no talent in this particular art form, but I really do appreciate it. Cici, on the other hand, has been happily blessed with her dad's sense of rhythm and coordination. And she loves dance too. She's in four classes this year (thanks to two very supportive fairy grandmothers): she takes two ballet classes, a jazz class and a hip hop class. It's immensely joyful for us as parents to watch her develop this talent.

Striking a pose.

Favorites

2010-03-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

If you've seen Schmobie lately, there's a good chance he's wearing one of these two shirts. He really does have other shirts--some of them very cute, in his mom's humble opinion--but no, it's got to be one of these shirts (aptly named "the Marshmellow shirt" and "the Guitar shirt"). Sometimes, when a three-year-old has a very strong opinion about something, it's just not worth putting up a fight--I'm sure you all can understand!

The cute thing about it is that he got these shirts from Bugman for Christmas--and he remembers that. In fact, he'll point that out every once in awhile: "I got these shirts from Bugman." It's a matter of pride; any thing from older brother must be cool. (Speaking of the word "cool," that's what Schmobie is, at all times. If you ever dare call him "cute," you'll get the comment, "I hate 'cute.' Cute is gross. I'm 'cool.'" From the mouths of babes...)

Yo mamma's so blorky, she wrote this post...

2010-03-07T13:17:00.000-08:00

Cici: "Mom, you're such a blork."
Me: "What's a blork?"
Cici: "A blogging dork."

A little background: I was in the kitchen taking pictures of my blender so I could post a cute, witty, and informative post about smoothies--my latest addiction. Cici walked in and asked why I take such strange pictures. I told her they were for my blog, which prompted the above observation.

About that smoothie post: like I said, they are my latest addiction. Ingredients: frozen berries (blue, rasp, straw--huge handfuls of whatever you have), milk, spinach (yes, spinach), and honey (it totally masks the spinach aftertaste). A couple of days ago, I learned from a friend that you can use water instead of milk--I was skeptical, but hey, less calories, right? So yesterday I substituted water for milk and added carrots and apples for good measure. I was very pleasantly surprised--the color wasn't as pretty but it tasted fresher. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say it was pretty darn fantastic. (It got the fam's--including Cici's--stamp of approval!) And filling. I wasn't hungry for hours.

Alright, so maybe the smoothie post's a little short on "cute and witty." But I'd jockey for "informative"...and definitely blorky. My friend K pointed out that now I'm a gleek and a blork. Yay for me! And so, so true...

Good News/Bad News

2010-02-22T20:51:00.000-08:00

The good news--we've finally discovered why I've been so gosh-dang exhausted the last couple of years.

The bad news--I have an autoimmune disease: gluten sensitivity enteropathy, also known as gluten-intolerance.
The good news--It's manageable. I just have to give up gluten.

The bad news--Do you know what foods have gluten in it?! Um, only about all of them. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but not by much. Bread, muffins, bagels, cookies, cake, pasta, pizza...essentially, my whole diet! (kidding!--kind of...) Also, there are a whole host of things that you wouldn't think have gluten in them, but do, such as ketchup, soy sauce, soups, some vinegars, sauces, etc.
The best news--I can still eat chocolate. And ice cream. Hold the cone, please.

Gleek Out!

2010-02-15T19:45:00.000-08:00

I have to admit...I have lately become a big, big, big, big, big, big, big gleek. For those wondering, "what's a gleek?" let me explain: a gleek is a fan of the TV series Glee. I was a little late getting on this train because we don't receive TV channels, and I wasn't clued into the show until I visited relatives this last fall. Even then, it took me awhile to make my way back to the show via Hulu (thank heavens for Hulu! I don't think we'll ever get cable again!). But now that I have, I find that I'm a huge fan. What is it exactly about the show? The singing helps...HUGE Broadway fan here, too. Also, the humor is twisted enough to surprise me and make me laugh--my fave quote as of now is "...you are about to board the Sue Sylvester Express. Destination: HORROR!!" Love it!! Love Sue! Love Glee! (I'm such a gleek!)

The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers

2010-02-08T09:35:00.001-08:00

I was at home, very pleasantly enjoying a few rare moments alone. Schmobie was at playgroup, and another mother would be bringing him home. Imagine my surprise when the doorbell rang, and THIS little creature came bounding in...
Apparently, Schmobie tried on this costume at playgroup, and had a fit when it came time to take it off and go home. The mother who hosted the playgroup very generously offered to let Schmobie keep it until the next playgroup date. I wonder if she knows that he then wore it for the next two days straight, with only very fervent bribes allowing us to get it off of him at night.

"They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy;
Fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN!"

I was a little worried that he wouldn't be able to return it. But he must've had enough Tigger by then, 'cause he was surprisingly cool with it.

Bibliophile

2010-02-03T05:58:00.000-08:00

Can I be honest with you here? (If I'm discussing childhood forays into pet shops, I s'pose I already am...) Over the last year, I've really missed shopping. I wasn't even much of a shopper beforehand--I find the whole experience vaguely overwhelming. It must be a "forbidden fruit" kind of thing. Once you can't do it...

Of course, we do still shop for groceries. And the kids still need socks once in a while. And I'll be darned if I spend a year w/o makeup. (Trust me, I'm doing you all a favor here.) :) ...But everything else has pretty much been put on hold.

Funny how doing without helps you sort out your priorities. When I was on my mission in the Dominican Republic (think, tropical island...very warm), whenever we fasted, all I wanted was water. Food, of course, would have been nice, but I desperately missed, craved, fantasized about a nice, tall, cold glass of agua. Three or four ice cubes, condensation beading around the sides...(Yes, you see. A lot of thought went into this.)

A similar thing is happening now. Scratch and I have a wish list a mile long, and as soon as one of us is permanently, gainfully employed the local economy will receive a big ol' boost from us alone. But the one thing that I find I really miss, that I desperately want to open up the dusty wallet and buy, is books. Books. Books, books, glorious books! Yep, they are my passion, my must-have, the thing I cannot do without.

Granted, there is the library, and believe you me, it has seen a lot of activity from this household, but some things you just gotta own. Like, books where you are #600 on the library waiting list:

Game Change--Largely unsourced, fairly controversial, but loaded with juicy, behind-the-scenes details of the 2008 presidential race. The book may only be a plumped up, trumped up, and (hopefully) better-written version of the National Enquire, but I've gotta read it. We all have our weaknesses.

(**Update--weakness indeed. I found some birthday money I'd been holding onto and bought Game Change yesterday afternoon. Now I can't seem to put it down--for all you political junkies out there, it's a fascinating read.)

Catching Fire--Confession time: after reading The Hunger Games, I simply could not sit by and idly wait. So I bought the sequel--just as good!

And then there are the books that fall into the "read them, loved them, gotta own them" category:

The afore-mentioned Hunger Games--like the Harry Potter series, this is something deserving of bookshelf space. In my opinion.

The Sparrow--my latest must-read. Soooo good!

Let It Snow

2010-01-31T09:27:00.000-08:00

That once a year occurance--Snow!--hit our area during Winter Break. No extra school off (darn it!), but the kids still enjoyed it!

Schmobie bundled up by trying on every scarf in the house!

(I could kiss on those cheeks all day! ...Wait, I think I already do!!)

It's a Dangerous World in Here

2010-01-28T14:08:00.000-08:00

Our computer seems to have been bitten by a rather nasty virus. Despite tons of anti-virus programs, and firewalls, and more techno-stuff that I can't pronounce and do not understand anyway, the virus persists.

One of the "symptoms" of this lovely little bug is that it'll open up new windows while you are on the web. Unsolicited windows. Usually, this is just annoying. I close the window and get back to whatever I was doing.

Today, just a few short minutes ago, in fact, I was innocently looking up overcast stitching on Google. I'm supposed to sew ribbons on Cici's ballet shoes, which is turning into rather an ordeal based purely on the fact that I am truly, truly challenged when it comes to sewing. But I digress. I was sitting here, trying to figure out what the site meant by "raw edges," and how the heck I was supposed to keep from puncturing the leather of the ballet shoe while making very tiny, zigzag stitches, when a new window popped open. All I could think was, "My eyes! My eyes!!" I had an immediate flashback to 4th grade when my Bluebird troop took a field trip to a pet store and I had my first (and last) run-in with a carnivorous bullfrog--and a certain genre of magazine.

The bullfrog was enormous--hugely fat, as round as a dinner plate. Our troop had arrived just in time to witness his dinner. An employee unceremoniously scooped up a tiny mouse from one cage, and put the mouse, still alive, in the frog's cage. The little thing sat there trembling. Actually trembling! I wasn't a rodent fan by any stretch, but my heart broke. I asked the employee if the frog would just eat him alive like that, and he shrugged his shoulders and said, "Yeah." It was a pretty startling introduction to the dog eat dog, or in this case, bullfrog eat mouse, world.

The mag was in the bathroom--a unisex room with no stalls and one toilet. It was just lying there on a stack of other magazines, and my bored nine-year-old self picked it up and opened it. Right to the center. It wasn't just one picture, but a series of shots...and as I'm quite positive you'd rather I not go into detail, let's just say that this poor, sheltered Bluebird got a quick and immediate education in a few things. (Hey, Mom and Dad! You still there? I bet you never heard THIS story before, huh?) Thoroughly traumatized now, I threw the magazine down. I don't THINK I was permanently scarred, but to this day, I associate a certain multibillion-dollar industry with flesh-eating bullfrogs. (Uh, Mom? Dad? I'm beginning to think this was all your fault--you really should have taught me to NOT pick things up from strange bathroom floors.)

Little-shop-of-horrors memories aside, this whole business has me a little worried. I'm not the only one who uses this computer. More and more, the elementary and middle schools assign homework online. What to do, what to do??? Any ideas, solutions, fixes? Or should I just accept that, like that magazine left laying around the bathroom, these things will happen--and most likely, our kids won't be scarred? I guess, in so many ways and despite our best efforts, our kids' education is out of our hands.

Bugmanism #8554

2010-01-26T20:29:00.000-08:00

Me: "What part of 'Please stop doing that!' did you not understand?"

Bugman: "The 'Please stop doing that!' part."

Thirteen

2010-01-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

We have a teenager in the house! Our beautiful Cici turned 13. Unbelievable. Where has the time gone?!!
For her birthday, Scratch, Cici, Bugman and I went to see Avatar. Cici loved it!! Afterward, we had cake and ice cream.

So many candles!!I can't believe she ate the whole thing....! ;)Cici only asked for two things: book 4 and book 5 of the Percy Jackson series.Schmobie shows an interest too. (Even if he is reading upside down...!)
Cici takes some self-portraits. Yep, she's definitely a teenager...

Speaking of "thirteen," my parents welcomed grandkids eleven, twelve and thirteen into the fold over the last few months.

Here's #11: darling Little Mac, born in October.

Yes, he's a Cougar already.
I have a special place in my heart for Little Mac. He was born while I was in Utah--in fact, the day before we were returning home--so I was able to meet him in person. Thanks for coming a little early so I could hold you, Little Mac!!

#12 and 13--twins!!--arrived earlier this month. My mom flew out to New York to help out.
BB, the girl, came first and weighed 8 lbs. 13 oz.!!! The boy, "I", wasn't much smaller at 7 lbs. 8 oz. Huge for twins!! My poor sis was carrying 16 pounds of baby!! (How's your back, sis?)
At home, BB on left, "I" on right. (It's not easy coming up with all these nicknames!!)

Yay for the Jogging Fat Girl!

2010-01-19T10:50:00.000-08:00

A new year is here, along with a new resolve to lose weight, eat right and exercise. (Scratch just rolls his eyes when I start my new plans--which should give you a clue about their success rate.)

Do you know what a big pet-peeve of mine is? When people say, "Good for you!" Like when I am out running, and someone I know sees me and shouts out, "Good for you!" Or when someone at church notices that I've lost some weight and says, "Good for you!" I hate it. It just reminds me of what a fat cow I've let myself become. I don't go up to skinny people and say, "Good for you for not letting yourself go!" Does anyone? No, no. They save such "accolades" for the big girls.

I know, I know, very silly of me...these people all mean well. But still. ;)

Sk8er Boy

2010-01-17T12:26:00.000-08:00

Gone is all the talk about Harry Potter. The Stars Wars figures have been untouched for months. Even video games have taken a backseat to Bugman's new passion: skateboarding.

It's representative of a whole new phase we are entering into. Bugman is starting to walk, talk, and (heaven help us!) act more like a preteen than a kid. He, more so than his older sister, is growing up fast. Sure, part of me misses my little guy who'd cuddle up to me, but another part is fascinated by this new character who's emerging--this person who plays basketball every afternoon with a big group of boys, some from middle school; who skateboards around Old Town with his friends and knows where the skateboarding shop is and where to buy candy; who, when another kid at school purposely tried to trip him up, just looked at kid coolly and said, "What are you? Some type of ninja?" and walked on, completely unbothered. Where'd he come from?? Scratch and I were NEVER this self-possessed.

Bugman (left) skating with friend.

Honing his skills.

I don't know what direction Bugman's life is going to take, but one thing is for sure. I'm glad I've got a front row seat, cause it's going to be a fun ride.

Describe 2009 in One Word

2010-01-01T06:49:00.000-08:00

Here's a challenge: describe 2009 in one word. You can email responses to me as well-- jsjadies8@gmail.com.

My word?

life-altering

Open Adoption - A Family for You

2009-12-29T07:07:00.000-08:00

Our friends Greg and Michelle Coxey are hoping to adopt again. They are a wonderful couple--truly great, fun-loving, hard-working people with a beautiful family of two little boys. I have visit taught Michelle for four years now, and know that she's not only a top-notch, A-one, terrific mother, but a wonderful friend and person as well. Both Greg and Michelle are much loved and admired around the community. They are very smart, funny, caring and compassionate people. Their sons Noah and Sam are both adopted through open adoption and stay in close contact with their birth families--they are very fortunate little boys! If you are looking to place a child, or know of someone who is, please look over Greg and Michelle's profile page and adoption blog. The links are provided below!

The Coxey's LDS Family Services profile:

https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/23260923/ourMessage.jsf

Or their family’s adoption blog:

http://greg-michelle-noah-sam.blogspot.com/

Pieces of Schmobie

2009-12-22T21:27:00.000-08:00

Schmobie's birthday! We kept it very small. He requested a "brown cake."

~~~

Below: Schmobie got ahold of the camera. Here's a collage of his "ouvre."

~~~

Schmobie's an avid Harry Potter freak! I have no idea where he gets it from. (Okay, I might have a clue.) He likes to put on these Clark Kent-ish glasses, fly on his broomstick, and have spell wars with Bugman and me. Scarily enough, the kid knows his spells! He also likes repeating, "Bloody Hell," just like Ron. ~~~

Schmobie crawled into the dryer one day while helping me unload the clothes. I've actually got a phobia about this--I knew a guy in college who had lost his arm in a freak accident involving a dryer when he was a little kid. Even more bizarre, he had an identical twin brother (who had both arms) who also went to BYU. If someone knew only one twin, he/she tended to freak out a bit (understandably) when he/she ran into the other. Coincidentally, I ended up being in the same ward as the two-armed brother and his wife when Scratch and I first got married. It was a little bit unnerving.

~~~

We've discovered that Schmobie is lactose-intolerant--he can't have cheese, ice cream, butter and drinks lactose-free milk. He calls it "black toes free milk." I think I'd prefer my milk free of horribly frostbitten toes too.

~~~

Schmobie likes to do sit-ups with big brother. Heck, he likes to do just about anything with big brother. Big brother is pretty intent on developing a six-pack, btw. He does six hundred crunches a day. (Between you and me, I think he was inspired by Taylor Lautner. Please disregard the pitiable state of the slipcovers.)

~~~

Schmobie loves to cook, and will "help out" any chance he gets! He even has his own apron. How cute is that?! ;)

~~~

Schmobie's angry face: all scrunched up nose and eyes. Cici calls it his "lemon face."

~~~

When Schmobie wants me to hold him, he says, "Give me you!" I'll give you me any time, any day, Schmobie...

Compulsion

2009-12-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

Can't...Stop...Typing...

Otter Crest

2009-12-15T18:26:00.000-08:00

Way back in July, Scratch and I took a trip to the Coast...just the two of us...no rugrats allowed. We relaxed, played some tennis, explored the beach, and talked, talked, talked. Such a luxury!

Here's my man, hunting for tide pools. He's fascinated by them (personally, I don't really get it...you've seen one anemone, you've seen 'em all).

Coats in July? That's the Oregon Coast for you!

The scenery, however, is spectacular:

I have to admit--on my first visit to the Oregon Coast, I cried. Not with joy, mind you. We had JUST moved to Oregon and I was so excited to live in a state with a beach again--but it was freezing, we were in winter coats, the beach was all rocky, and the water was just SOOO COLD--NOT my idea of "beach"! Where do we lay out? How do we get tan? How do we get hot enough to brave the water??? Anyhoo, I got over it, learned to appreciate it for what it had to offer, and am now proud of our beyond gorgeous coastline.

~~~

My good friend M&M took care of the rugrats while we were gone. M&M and fam took them sailing:

Captains Bugman and Schmobie. ( I just love it when Schmobie sticks his tongue out when concentrating!)

Thank you M&M and Ranell (who offered up her condo) for making the trip possible! You guys are awesome.

60%

2009-12-12T09:06:00.000-08:00

I just learned this rather (okay, very) daunting figure last night: 60% of professionals in Scratch's industry are unemployed in our metropolitan area. Sixty percent!! Six out of ten...

Months and months ago, Scratch stopped looking for employment in his line of work because it was like looking for unicorns or Sasquatch or Glenn Beck's integrity--you can't find something that isn't there. So he's been mostly trying to score interviews for jobs that are related (even remotely) to his field--jobs that he could do, but that he doesn't necessarily have experience for. Sounds good, right? The problem--so is every other unemployed person in his field--as well as the out-of-work souls who actually used to work in the related fields, and therefore, have more experience. I guess I needn't mention what this means in terms of competition for each and every opening that may pop up...

I probably should interject right here that I remain relatively optimistic. I wake up every day thinking that Scratch's new job is just around the corner. Scratch's new job...it's like the phrase should be italicized, in shimmery webfetti:

Yeah, something like that.

Yet...yet...it's getting a little harder to believe in, like Scratch's great new job, in or out of his field, is as mythical as those unicorns. But I do need to remind myself that it could be worse--much, much worse.

Last night we went to a Christmas concerto. The music was searing, heavenly, and did much to lift the spirit. We ran into some friends at the concerto, and afterward we went out for dessert. (Ironically, I learned about the 60% statistic while at the concerto; Scratch had also run into an old acquaintance from his graduate program.) We didn't want to wait in the overcrowded lobby for a table, so we bought our desserts to go (heavenly cheesecakes--heavenly was kind of an ongoing theme last night), and ate them in our friends' car. As we were eating our heavenly waist expanders, I looked up and noticed several sleeping bags and blankets piled into a makeshift bed, right on the cold, concrete stoop of the townhouse we were parked in front of. I took a few more bites of my cheesecake and then saw the bags rustle. Hmmm...whoever owned those bags was currently in them. As if in answer to my thought, a head of curly, brown hair peeked out momentarily and then snuggled back into its cocoon. You've gotta understand--it has been well below freezing for days now. I can't even imagine...

So yes, I realize we are blessed. But I can't keep from hoping for another, bigger blessing--you know, the one in shimmery letters...

PS: I hope Mr. Sleeps on a Cold Stoop finds some blessings soon too.

Bugman and the Drunken Duck Fan

2009-12-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

On December 5, the two big Oregon college football teams (OSU Beavers and UO Ducks) battled each other in their yearly "civil war" game. This time, however, the stakes were higher than ever--the winner would go on to the Rose Bowl. Fevered anticipation was high all over the state! I talked Scratch into writing the following post about Civil War 2009:

The day began at Bugman's school, with students wearing the colors of their favored teams, and teachers joining in (encouraging!) the confrontation. In Bugman's class, Beavers were counted as on time, Ducks were all counted late; in gym class the 42 Beaver students creamed the 12 Duck fans in dodgeball; Ducks were allowed first in the lunch food line with Beavers getting sloppy seconds.

For the actual football game, I treated Bugman to a “guy's night out” at a local family-friendly sports bar to watch the big screens.

The evening started out pretty calmly; there was an even representation of each team throughout the packed restaurant. Bugman and I arrived almost 2 hrs early and still got the last seats, right up front under the biggest TV. We ordered food right away and the four-hour feast began.

Anyone who watched the game will tell you that it was a real teeter-totter of emotion for awhile. One minute one team was up, then next it was losing. Fans took turns cheering and sulking, but always in good comeraderie. Early in the game the Ducks had two unforced errors: throwing an interception and fumbling the ball, giving the Beavers the advantage. By the end of the first quarter we had finished our appetizers.

As the game approached half time people began getting drunk. Bugman wondered what people were like when they were drunk, never really having seen that before. As people continued eating, they kept drinking, and of course the bar offered tremendous deals on mass alchohol. The guy sitting right behind Bugman—a Duck fan, wearing a green shirt and a yellow duck skull cap—was a family friend who had made a deal with a Beaver fan at the back of the bar that each would buy the other a shot anytime there was a single rushing play for more than 40 yds. If you saw the game you'd know that every third play was for more than 40 yds. The 'Duck' got wasted. Fast. Two girls—loud Duck fans sitting near me—were drinking their own weight in beer.

During halftime the bar had raffle drawings and prizes and we all had fun. Bugman and I finished our salads.

At the end of the half hour the bartender announced $1 shots-- yellow fuzzy navels for Duck fans, and some-other-color-coded-beverage for Beaver fans. “I'll take two!” a girl in the corner screamed.

And that's when the fun began.

During the third quarter the fans became drunker and more raucus; completely nonconfrontational, but definitley more emotional. The loud girls in the corner had grown quiet, and couldn't seem to be able to see past their own noses. They were making dancing motions with their hands but were focusing elsewhere. The 'Duck' went over to comfort them. Bugman and I finished our burgers.

By fourth quarter the plays grew longer, and the clock was drawn out. The 'Duck' started screaming at the girls to "get alive! get focused! get hyper!!!" And that they did. They jumped up, staggered around screaming something about offense—even though it was a time out—and blew there duck whistles: obnoxious quacking noisemakers. The 'Duck,' after every play—Every Play—did the Vonage dance and whooped and hollered with the drunk girls. After 20 minutes of this Bugman turned to him and innocently asked “why do you do that??” This was the opportunity the 'Duck' needed. He grabbed Bugman up at the very front of the restaurant, in front of everyone, and made a show of demonstrating the dance, teaching him every nuance, and the crowd was eating it up. Now he not only had beer in his veins and an audience, but he had an underaged accomplice! So now, after every play—Every Play—they did the Vonage dance together, and whooped and hollered and high-fived the drunk girls, to the crowd's pleasure. Bugman became the 'Duck's' best friend. He grabbed Bugman and theatrically beat on his chest: “Do you feel it pumpin'? It's pumpin' Yellow and Green! Yellow and Green, baby! Whoo-hoo!” Then the Vonage dance. Whenever he was in the mood he would turn around and violently tossle Bugman's voluminous hair. “Wooh-hoo, here we go! C'mon Ducks!” And the drunk girls in the corner were shouting “C'mon offense! Get those Beavs!” The Beavers had the ball.

To Bugman's chagrin the 'Duck' turned around again to tossle his hair again in front of everyone. I said “Bug, if you want, you can rip that ugly yellow hat off his head and rub his hair!” So Bugman put his hand up. “Sure, bud,” said the 'Duck,' “here ya' go!” He ripped off his hat, revealing a sweaty, flushed, bald head with withered little whisps of hair trying to breath under the hat. Bugman recoiled in repulsion, and the crowd went wild, laughing to tears. The 'Duck' danced around the floor singing “I...smell...roses...” and the drunkest girl came over and hugged us with drunk-strength 'til we couldn't breathe: “I love you guys, **sniff**.”

The game was over.

“I wanna get outta here,” said Bugman.

Gypsy

2009-12-09T14:16:00.000-08:00

During Thanksgiving break, MIL and FIL took Scratch and me out on a double date to one of their favorite hangouts. It was a fascinating place: part cafe, part fair trade store, part gathering place for concerts and public forums--all parts off-beat and funky. Colorful wall hangings from artisans around the world adorned the cafe walls. I fell head over heels for the work of an African artist named Esa-Tai. This isn't her work (below--her stuff is simpler, and dealing with ordinary themes like feeding chickens), but it gives you an idea of the genre:

Posters around the room proclaimed the "10 Myths of Immigration" and the evils of L.A. sweatshops. A notice board advertised, among other things, new-agey type yoga classes and organic food markets. One flier took me by surprise--a course in how to communicate with the dead presented as if it were some run-of-the-mill class, like how to knit or budget your checkbook.

We had come to eat and then hang around for a concert--I can only describe the band as "eclectic." While the band was setting up, Scratch and I explored the fair trade store. Beaded purses from Afghanistan, earthenware from Nicaragua, Bamboo t-shirts (yes, really) from Sri Lanka, all sorts of items made from recycled material (check out the bracelet made from magazines below). Fair trade is somewhat controversial (like any type of trade, I s'pose), but the stuff there was beautiful.

Having satisfied our curiosity, Scratch and I took our seats. As I stated before, the band's style was pure eclectic, and they played everything from Texas Swing to Motown. Scratch and I have a thing for live music--even if we don't typically enjoy the genre, we still love it live. I was introduced to two new genres that night (new to me, anyway): Gypsy Jazz and Bohemian. It was love at first listen. I decided on the spot that I had most definitely been born in the wrong century and that I really should have been born a Bohemian Gypsy. Long skirts, hoop earrings, barefoot and dancing by the campfire until the wee hours of the morning...

I tell myself that if I had really been born in that time, that lifestyle, I'd probably be forced to marry my one-eyed uncle, he'd die in a knife-fight defending my honor (or caught stealing--whichever came first), and then I'd have to sell my gold tooth to help our kids survive. And let's say I made it to the ripe old age of 40--I'd probably have no teeth (hygiene wasn't really emphasized), withered skin (ditto moisturizing), and cackle as I gave people tragic fortunes.

But when that aching, melancholic music plays...I'm 20 again, long dark hair a-tumble, and twirling as the firelight casts strange shadows on the caravans.

Online Auction Update

2009-12-07T19:21:00.000-08:00

The bidding has begun! I've never shopped at an online auction before, and I think I went a little bid-crazy. If I win everything that I bid for, I'm gonna be in trouble...

www.rallyforrafe.blogspot.com

Here's an additional note from my sis-in-law, H-girl:

Our neighbor and friend Rafe has been battling cancer. He is an incredibly good man, with an amazing wife and three beautiful little boys. Many of his friends and neighbors have been rallying together to show Rafe we love and support him and his family at this time. In order to help alleviate some of the burden associated with his extraordinary medical expenses we are conducting an online auction. Any support you are able to give will be put to great use and much appreciated. The online auction will begin on December 7th (TODAY!) and will end on December 14th at 5:00 p.m. Please check out the blog for more info and to bid on items. There have been tons of amazing items and services donated, so check out the blog
www.rallyforrafe.blogspot.com, do some Christmas shopping, and know that 100% of the proceeds will make a huge difference for this young family. Please take a few minutes to bid on a few items, and encourage your friends to do the same (via email, facebook, blog, etc...). Thanks! Let the bidding begin!!!

Online Auction

2009-12-06T00:25:00.000-08:00

This is from my sister-in-law--I thought I'd pass it along...

Dear friends and family,
We need your help. Our neighbor and friend Rafe is battling cancer. He is an incredibly good man, with an amazing wife and three beautiful little boys. Rafe's cancer has spread to multiple organs, including his brain. He has undergone chemotherapy, radiation and most recently, a surgery to remove a large tumor from his brain. During the surgery the surgeon found two more tumors. They are planning on doing radiation again to his head, in an attempt to shrink the tumors. You can imagine the financial strain that this has placed on their young family.

Their family has been very private in their struggle and have had a difficult time asking for help from others. They are independent and humble, yet gracious and kind, the type of people who would do anything for anyone. Although this will remain anonymous, many of Rafe's friends and neighbors have been rallying together to show Rafe that we love and support him and his family at this time. In order to help alleviate some of the burden associated with the extraordinary medical expenses we are conducting an online auction. Any support you are able to give will be put to great use and much appreciated. The online auction will begin on December 7th and will end on December 14th at 5:00 p.m. Please check out the blog for more info at http://www.rallyforrafe.blogspot.com/ about the auction.

If you have a special skill, talent or product that you could donate for the online auction, please do so. Here are some ideas just to get you thinking....jewelry, haircolor/cuts, photography, timeshare/condo stay, free tax service, clothing, products, massages, discounted services, gift certificates, Jazz or BYU tickets, hair products, body lotions, home decor, quilts/sewing, handmade items (i.e. cards, aprons, purses, hair accessories), tutoring, video games, piano or guitar lessons, party planning, graphic design, invitations, baby products (nursing covers, slings, hairbows, beanies, clothing), etc... No donation is too small. Also, if you know someone who might have something they could donate, please forward this email to them. Or simply post a blog or facebook message with the blog website http://www.rallyforrafe.blogspot.com/ and encourage people to donate raffle items or to bid on items. Once again, the online auction will begin on December 7th, so mark your calendars and check the blog on that day to see the list of items up for bid. The auction will end December 14th at 5:00 p.m. Even if you aren't able to donate, please spread the word about the online auction!

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Please let me know if you have any questions or if you have anything you would like to donate. In order to make things easier, I'd be happy to coordinate on your behalf. Thank you!

All the best,
(H-girl)

Longevity

2009-12-04T07:49:00.000-08:00

I love to make Scratch laugh. He's got such a great laugh--totally unique and recognizable. Even before we started dating, I remember my roommates and I would sometimes hear him laugh (usually at something e.'s future husband said--they were roommates) out in the parking lot somewhere, and we'd all smile. When we did start dating, every time--and I mean every time--we went to the movies, friends would recognize his laugh in the dark theater and come find us afterward. (This also demonstrates what a small world Provo is...) ;)

One of the nice things about being married for awhile is that you build up a repertoire of inside jokes. They'd probably sound pretty lame if we tried to explain them, but they still make us giggle. (Sometimes at very inconvenient moments...) This morning, as Scratch was pulling out of the driveway to go to a networking meeting, I made our family's crazy sign for "I love you." (We point to ourselves, cross our arms in the shape of an X in front of our chests and then point at the other person, but as fast as we can--we have competitions to see who can do it the fastest-- so that it ends up looking like some sort of threatening gang symbol.) I hadn't done that in awhile, so it caught him off guard and made him throw back his head and laugh. He did it back, and I went back inside the house smiling.

Chocolate, Pink Elephants, Vampires, and Santa Claus

2009-12-02T08:52:00.000-08:00

Sounds like a really bizarre dream, doesn't it? Well, it's actually the events of one magical day in the lives of the peapod.

The day after Thanksgiving found us in the heart of downtown Tacoma, desperately trying to find Brown & Haley's little round outlet house. We had been to the outlet several times before, but it had been a few years--and to be honest, we always have to feel our way. We were on the verge of being late to Scratch's Aunt Lo's Christmas brunch, and we wanted to get her and her family some yummy Brown & Haley Chocolates--but we would have to give up and find the highway if we didn't run across the little house soon.

Then, I saw it. No, not the house, but the giant pink elephant sign. Kind of hard to miss... Somewhere in my clouded memory, I had stored this crucial bit of information--the outlet store was right next to the Pink Elephant Car Wash. (Who'd've thunk it? A round pink house right next to a giant pink elephant in downtown Tacoma. Ah, the cool little surprises you find in the city.) We took a right, went past the car wash, and sure 'nuf, there was our house. Phew! We'd have a present for Aunt Lo after all--as well as some delicious treats for ourselves, of course! ;) Because you just cannot walk into Brown & Haley's without buying some type of delectable treat. Each kid selected their own brand of scrumptious, and the adults may have picked up a thing or two as well, and we were off.

A word about Aunt Lo--she's one of those women who'll be young and gorgeous her whole entire life, even if she lives to be 110. A lot of it has to do with her joie de vivre--it's present all year long, but it really comes out at Christmastime (which, in this case, started immediately at 12:01 am the day after Thanksgiving). Her house literally looked like the North Pole had relocated to the Northwest. Well, okay, not that bad--but the house was definitely decked out. Creche scenes, Santas, reindeer, a fully decorated tree, candles, boughs and bows, stockings hung by the chimney with care--you get the picture. Aunt Lo greeted us at the door dressed like a Christmas elf (see, how can you grow old when you do cool stuff like that?!!). Also elfish--Aunt Lo's daughter-in-law, Cousin C. They were adorable.

Then we were treated to a Christmas brunch to end all brunches--bacon, ham, and eggs, naturally--but also cinnamon rolls, grapes, oranges, heavenly hashbrowns with sour cream and cheese, these absolutely sinful Scandinavian pastries--whose name I learned and then promptly forgot, and to top it all off, dual colored (red and green, of course) pancakes in Christmas shapes, topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Aunt Lo's son (and Cousin C's hub) Cousin X made them. I'm still not sure how--they were like works of art--perfectly shaped Christmas trees with red ornaments, rectangular pancakes with the words "Merry Christmas" in perfect lettering--uncanny, really.

The festivities had only begun--the brunch was followed by a scavenger hunt (created by Cousin C) for Cici and Bugman, who came away from it with bags full of chocolate. (You'd think with so much that they'd be willing to share--but no.) At some point, we noticed that Aunt Lo's husband was nowhere to be seen. No matter, cause this is where Santa Claus made his appearance, much to Schmobie's delight. He was ENCHANTED. Couldn't keep his eyes off the jolly old elf. Cousin X and C have twin boys who are a month older than Schmobie--and their eyes were round as well. Santa doled out gifts for the children, including Cici and Bug, who know better. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Christmas program that followed--we all played a part--Christmas carols were sung, the story of the birth of Christ retold. There were more than a few misty eyes by the end of the program. Truly, a magical day.

But there's more...evening was drawing upon us, and Cousin C decided to treat Cici and Bugman to a certain movie with a few vampires in it, maybe a werewolf or two. You may have heard of it. She ended up treating me as well, which I still feel weird about--I'm going to have to get her back for that...*shaking my head at Cousin C*. Seriously though--can I just say right here that Cousin C is awesome? And not just cause she treated us--she's one of those people who is just really cool and rad and that you love to pieces the moment you meet them. That's Cousin C for you.

About the movie--I have to admit that I love it. Sure it's cheesy (what was up with that part with Bella and Edward skipping through the forest??? Seriously? I think the whole audience snorted with derision--including me, the uberfan--during that scene...) Other than that, though, (and a few sporadic acting moments) it was a very entertaining movie that had me hooked from the first scene to the last. Have you seen the movie? What did you think?

Fer Shizzle

2009-12-01T12:21:00.000-08:00

My mom's response to my last post?

"That's great!! Fer shizzle!"

Huh??? Since when is my mom hipper than I am?

And...*blushing cause I hate to admit I don't know this*...where did "fer shizzle" come from? What does it mean??? And...(gulp), have people been using this term for awhile?

Yikes. I'm going to go turn on NPR, sip my Metamucil cocktail, and ponder the disappearance of my youth...

Working Gal

2009-11-23T11:09:00.000-08:00

Good news!

I was offered a part-time job doing some editing, and I gratefully took it. Before I had Bugman I was a technical writer, but it's been eleven looonnng years since I've done anything professional with words, grammar, sentence structure...

I was very nervous starting off, but I feel like I'm getting back into the groove and I'm remembering how much I love this stuff--yes, I'm a true word nerd. And I love reworking sentences/paragraphs to make them a little cleaner, the meaning a little clearer. Can't you just tell by the way I write my blogs? (Ha! Good one, there--I totally put rules aside when I come here....)

Here's an idealized version of my new life:

Here's what it really looks like:
(I heart Tina Fey, btw!)

Welfare Queen Wannabe

2009-11-19T10:20:00.000-08:00

The Queen Pea is reaching for another crown: Welfare Queen.

Several years ago, I read a book called Flat Broke with Children: Women in the Age of Welfare Reform by Sharon Hays. In it, Hays states that less than 6% of those currently on welfare fall into the stereotype of "Welfare Queen," or someone who purposely and perpetually stays on welfare for most of her adult life. On the contrary, most (94%) are typically on welfare for a relatively short duration (a few months to five years), and then move on to become good little contributing members of society.

Don't believe a word of it. Nevermind that Hays' book is impeccably researched or that she interviewed hundreds of welfare recipients over a three year period, even shadowing a few (with permission), before writing this book. Because after living nine months on the dole, I know the truth.

Here goes...our dirty little secret: we LOOOOOVE this lifestyle. So much!! After nine months, we've become completely entranced, enthralled, enamored even, with hand-outs and leg-ups. We joy in receiving monthly food stamps for three weeks worth of food. We revel in rolling in our unemployment checks, lavishly spending them on....mortgage, utilities, or insurance payments! (Which this month? You choose!!) Forget that we can't actually afford to GO to the doctor...apparently that's not what insurance is for.

Humbled that we are beholden to relatives/friends/neighbors for big and little things alike? Terrified to receive another invitation to a shower/birthday party/wedding because of present-buying anxiety? Embarrassed to be caught with a McFlurry from McDonald's (bought because I was so....McHappy) because I'm misspending your money? Worried that we will run through our parents' retirement savings because they refuse to let us lose our home? Pfft!! In the spirit of Triumph the Ever Obnoxious Insult Dog, we "poop" on such emotions!! The word here is....ENTITLEMENT.

Oh, yes. Scratch and I have been lulled into the cycle of poverty by the treacly-sweet arms of the Nanny State. We chew up your hard-earned, tax-payer dollars for breakfast and spit them out the window while shouting out, "SUCKERS!!" Yep, this is the life. We're hanging up our pavement-pounding shoes because we want to live this way FOREVAH!!!!

Who wouldn't???

The Hunger Games

2009-11-13T15:39:00.000-08:00

NaBloPoMo got seriously derailed. It's all the fault of one book, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I liked it so much, I bought the sequel the day after I finished reading it. (Warning: may cause marital strife as you'll completely ignore your spouse 'til you finish.)

Fast-paced, disturbing, and very addictive. Intriguing characters--and a little romance thrown in as well. If you like series novels, I bet you'll like this too.

Nine Month Anniversary

2009-11-12T02:41:00.000-08:00

Nine months ago today, Scratch was laid off. Long enough for a pregnancy to go full term. Long enough to touch on all four seasons. Long enough for Schmobie to go from a few words linked together to full-on, mostly grammatically correct paragraphs. Long enough for us to go, "Hey, it's been an interesting adventure; we think we're ready for 'boring' now."

Ah, good ol' healthy, happy, fully-employed "boring." No twists, no turns, no newsworthy events. I tell ya, boring has never looked so good.

Sanctuary

2009-11-04T01:34:00.000-08:00

There's a wildlife refuge near where we live. A beautiful place, it has trails through wetlands and forests, by creeks and a large, lazy river. We often walk there Sunday afternoons--and this last Sunday was a perfect Fall day--not sure how many of those we have left!

I caught this woodpecker in action. He's well camouflaged; you have to look closely.

We saw quite a few geese fly overhead. Toward the end of our walk, an enormous flock flew by--filling up the evening sky for several minutes. I tried to get a picture, but it was too dark by then.

Our Lovely Sanctuary...

Clockwise, from top left: the river, wetlands, forest, more wetlands, a forest glade, and giant fungi the size of my hand.

Their Lovely Sanctuary

An eagle is perched on the highest branch of the tree in the distance. Some other birdwatchers set up tripods and whipped out superlong (a technical term) zoom lenses (seriously, like two feet long). Camera-envy, anyone? I think I may have drooled a little.

waxing...or waning?

*sigh!*

Vaccinated (Almost)

2009-11-03T14:31:00.000-08:00

Early Halloween day found the Peapod in a very long line at the local high school. Vaccines for H1N1 had finally arrived to our neck of the woods, and we weren't gonna miss out. I have a child with asthma, which is considered a higher risk for complications with H1N1. We arrived at the high school an hour early to make sure we got our place in line. Unfortunately, we weren't early enough. There had to have been at least 300 people in front of us. We waited in line for three hours, in the drizzling rain, only to find out that the injectable vaccine had run out. They did have the FluMist still available, but that's a live vaccine, and therefore, not recommended for people with asthma. So while two of my children are now vaccinated, the one I am most concerned about isn't.

But I have a plan: the vaccine will be made available again this next Saturday. This time, I'm arriving three hours early--with a camp chair, a novel and a cell phone in hand. And maybe a canister of hot chocolate. And probably an umbrella. As soon as the doors open, I'll call Scratch and have him bring the child in question on by. Now, to keep the kid healthy until then...

Now That's Scary

2009-11-01T01:08:00.001-07:00

Yes, he is 10 and yes, he's a boy. So I should be expecting this. But I still have to worry when every Halloween Bugman has to one up himself in the gross-out category. Like the year he and his father combined a haircut with a unique Halloween costume idea. How unique? Well, Scratch and Bugman took the hair clippings and glued, yes glued, them all over Bugman's face and forearms, and even a few tufts coming out of his neckline, so he could be a werewolf. Human hair--glued on every surface that showed a little skin. Thank goodness Halloween comes when it starts to get chilly.

This year, Bugman wanted every surface to be bloody. Very bloody. I've-been-shot-and-hacked-at-multiple-times bloody. Well, it's not exactly my venue, but I gave it my best shot. (No pun meant there whatsoever.) Corn syrup and a little red food coloring helped (hint for mothers of future 10-year-old boys).
Cici, on the other hand, always wants a touch of glamour with her spooky costumes. This is not my best face-painting effort; she's supposed to be spidergirl, and I haven't yet mastered the shadowing and blending needed to make this face look really, really cool. Cici wore it very well, none-the-less.

At first, Schmobie wasn't too keen about this holiday--he did not particularly want to get costumed up, and he did not particularly want to knock on doors and talk to strangers. In both cases it took a little, um, coaxing. But I tell you, after that first house when he saw a fistful of candy go "plunk" into his plastic pumpkin--well, he caught on to the Spirit of Halloween, and was soon sprinting from house to house. We never did get him to say, "Trick or Treat!" but, miraculously, he managed to keep his hat on the whole time. When we got home from trick-or-treating, he wanted to be the one to answer the door and dole out the candy. Too cute.

Here are two group shots before Cici went off with her friends, and Bugman went off with his friends, and Schmobie went off with his otherwise abandoned parents.

As always, I am so proud. (i.e., what a bunch of hams!!)

"aahhh!"

2009-10-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

When we went to visit my folks this fall, we forgot to bring our swimsuits. Which is semi-tragic, because my dad has a hot tub, and Bugman really looks forward to relaxing in the tub each and every morning with Grandpa. It's kind of their tradition whenever Bugman is in town. (The rest of us enjoy using it too--just not at 7am.)

Between the cousins we were able to scrounge up suits for Bugman and Cici, but not for Schmobie. No matter. Schmobie said he'd just go "in his belly and his ding-dong." That's probably the cutest term for naked that I've ever heard. Well, after stating that, we couldn't deny him. So in he went, with not a stitch on, but his belly and his ding-dong, of course.

Bugman and Cousin C-man

Which leaves me to wonder: What unique ways have your kids described the state of undress?

The Hostesses With the Mostest

2009-10-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

My sisters-in-law H-girl and Southern Belle have a knack for throwing beautifully-decorated parties. I greatly admire this. It's strange, for while I love things of beauty and definitely appreciate ambiance--I have absolutely NO talent for this whatsoever.

The shower for my sis D.Bo and her twins--the theme: two peas in a pod. Notice the compote with the pea pods inside (Southern Belle's terrific idea). In a million years, I wouldn't have thought of that. (I had to look up the word "compote"; to me, it's that tall glass thingy.)

Sister-in-law K's shower (put together by H-girl)--love the brown and blue, love the dots. And the white flowers? Tres elegante!

Grandkids Come in Twos

2009-10-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

There's a rather unusual phenomenon in our family: my mom and dad's grandkids all come in pairs--usually boy/girl pairs. When one couple is expecting, we always joke that someone else is next. And sure enough, another pregnancy is soon announced. Likewise, as soon as one couple knows the gender of their baby--we can pretty safely bet that the other baby will be of the opposite sex.

Pair One: G and Cici--11 months apart. They are the oldest grandchildren, and also the furthest apart in age.

Pair Two: Bugman and Bear--3 months apart

Pair Three: Tay and C-Man--2 months apart

Pair Four: Schmobie and Sassy--5 months apart

Pair Five: E and S--2 months apart. But wait! They are both girls. One part of the pattern has changed!

And now, Pair Six:But the pattern has been modified in yet another way: my sister (on the right) is expecting twins! (She's not very far along in this picture, which was taken in August.) K, my gorgeous sister-in-law (left), had a boy while I was in Utah this past week. (More on that later...) D.Bo, my sis, is expecting a boy and a girl in January. Are the grandkids going to come in trios from now on?

Cornbelly's

2009-10-26T23:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Cornbelly's! So much to do...better come with some cousins!!

The slide is fun;
the jumping pillows more so.
Enter if you dare....!!

Enjoy a Chicken Show.Why settle for planes, trains and automobiles...

when you can have hayrides,wooden and/or cow trains,
buggies,
horse-drawn carriages,
and ...pumpkins?
And what fall-themed park is complete without hay mazes and corn mazes?

Now, take your tired Mommy, Grandma, and very pregnant Aunt home for hot cocoa and apple cider!

The Scientists

2009-10-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

The kids and I visited my family in Utah this fall. While there, Cici and my mom worked on a science project that was due when Cici arrived home. I have to say, my mom loves this kind of stuff. As an artist and former schoolteacher, my mom has plenty of really cool supplies on hand for just this sort of thing. Cici and Mom enjoyed working together and made a great team. (Cici was the driving force behind the ideas and key decisions--very important when working with kids on school projects, I believe.) This is the stuff that builds lasting memories...

mixing the plaster of Paris

Creating a 3-D model of an animal cell

Mitochondria, ribosomes and nuclei, oh my!

Tada!

Schmobie's New Favorite Word

2009-10-17T06:26:00.000-07:00

This isn't going to be one of those "ahhh, isn't that sweet!" entries. I'm sure I have my share of those, but this ain't it.

Schmobie's new favorite word? "NEVER!!" --complete with all caps and exclamation points. This word first emerged during sacrament meeting in my parents' ward. The context:

"Schmobie, come sit next to Mommy."
"NEVER!!"

and later,

"Don't hit your brother. Be gentle."
"NEVER!!"

It's actually pretty amusing, which can be bad because the more we laugh, the angrier my two-almost-three-year-old gets. "S'not funny! Stop laughing!!" Then, he pulls his "angry face," all scrunched up nose and squinty eyes--a look that is so dang cute, we laugh all the harder. Poor Schmobe. What's a little rebel without a cause to do?

Oops, I'm bordering on preciousness now. I can't seem to help myself when Schmobie's concerned. Ahh, isn't that sweet? ;)

Say It Isn't So! Please? Pretty Please?

2009-10-14T03:39:00.000-07:00

Warning: this post is not for the male gender. You 1) wouldn't understand, and 2) would just get a little squeamish. Trust me on this...

For the past year, I've had terrible insomnia and, not surprisingly, fatigue. This, from a girl (uh, woman) who used to pride herself in being able to fall asleep anytime, anywhere. (Is that something to be proud of? Sure, why not?)

I've been to the doctor several times to get to the bottom of this--gotta love copays--okay, not really--and we've run the gamut from depression to vitamin D deficiency to finally, a hormone panel, which revealed that I'm low on progesterone. The doc informed me that this is because I'm (drumroll please)...........menopausal. What?? I mean, WHAT??? But doc! I'm such a youngun', only....oh yeah. Grrr.

Here's an inconvenient little truth to all my younger friends with wrinkle-free brows out there (I was noticing at bookclub the other night how smooth everyone's foreheads were--yes, I've reached the age where I do that): menopause starts at 38. Not the heavy duty stuff like hot flashes and no periods. (If you are male and still reading, let it be known that I did warn you...) Just the little stuff like low progesterone, which causes insomnia and, not surprisingly, fatigue.

So, the doctor did prescribe me a cute little pill (hot pink and perfectly spherical) to correct the hormonal imbalance. It's supposed to help--the catch? I'm to take the pill at night, and always, but always, forget to. Lack of sleep does that to you, interestingly enough. Well okay, I have remembered two or three times, but not enough to counter the insomnia and non-surprising fatigue. My dad used to always say, from his (ahem) 40th birthday on, that getting older beats the alternative. I'm not so sure.... ;)

Not So Bad

2009-10-12T04:06:00.000-07:00

Just a little note, that despite my recent kvetching, things aren't so bad. I mainly bring up our unemployment for two reasons: 1) I want to document this time--all indications say that it is rather historic; and 2) it is our reality, and I don't want to pretend otherwise.

But just to let you all know, we remain relatively lucky--we haven't lost our home; we have good food (and plenty of it) on our table and clothes on our back. Our kids have new shoes and winter coats. There are many in this world who cannot say the same; as Scratch and I were saying to each other the other day, we really don't know suffering. Not like others know it.

So, while I'll still bring up what is our reality (and even kvetch here and there!), fundamentally, we are okay.

PS: isn't "kvetch" a great word?!! Sums up the action soooo perfectly.

Let's Go Fly a Kite

2009-10-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

If Only...

2009-09-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

Ah, to be a kid again, and swing in a swing, without getting horribly motion-sick, and think of nothing but the great blue sky and how it resembles a gigantic pool and how I'm gonna figure out how to dive into it somehow, ...to swing, and swing, higher and higher, until all troubles drift away as if they never were.

But no. I am a full-grown adult, and I do get horribly motion-sick (what's up with that?!!) with even the slightest back and forth, and I know that no troubles are gonna magically disappear, no matter how much I'd like to will them away. *Sigh* Why was I in such a hurry to grow up?!! :)

Take Time to Smell the Roses

2009-09-26T00:56:00.001-07:00

...and look at the ants, pick blackberries, crumple dead leaves, throw sticks in the ravine, sit in the shade, pick dandelions, watch a cat, eavesdrop on the neighbors...

I'm not saying this out of some romantic notion. Oh no. This is what I've been unwillingly forced to do the last few days. Lately, Schmobie has decided he'd rather ride his tractor to the park rather than ride in the stroller--which would seem great, EXCEPT he is constantly stopping to do all the above and it takes him soooo daaaannnggg looonnnggggg. Truly. The park's down the street--5 minutes walking distance tops--and it takes us a good 40-50 minutes to get there and then get home again. It. Drives. Me. BATTY!!

But today, after finally realizing that pleading, cajoling, bribing and plain old getting angry were all getting me nowhere...and us nowhere closer to home, I gave in, and really tried to enjoy the extra time with Schmobie. We sat on a dirt hill and talked about the different bugs, trees and uh, a little bit of dog poop in our view. He's pretty dang cute when he's conversing, even if it's about dog poop. He likes for me to copy what he's doing, so he put his foot up on a tree, had me do the same to a tree next to his, and then we both peered round our trees to the ravine below. I'm not sure what the whole foot thing was about, but the cool, green ravine was very peaceful. Every once in a blue moon, I'll actually take him exploring in the patch of woods surrounding the ravine, but today, he was content to just look. And I was content to put off doing a few dishes waiting for me at home and just BE for a bit. ...And more importantly, be with Schmobie.

The Blackberry Path

2009-09-02T06:28:00.000-07:00

There is a path through our neighborhood that we call "the blackberry path" because of the abundant amount of blackberries that grow there. August through September are peak months for blackberry picking, and we take advantage of the bounty of free fruit by going to the path once or twice a week. I usually make a pie or two, and we store tons of blackberries in our garage freezer, so we may enjoy them all year long.

Apparently, the blackberry bush is a weed here. It grows everywhere and anywhere, often destroying trees and woodland. Be that as it may~the Peapod loves them some NW blackberries.

(Cici just may have juiced her hands up a bit for dramatic effect.) ;)

Grandpa's 70th

2009-08-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

While we were in California, my dad turned the big 7-0. (Wow.) The timing was perfect, because all of his children and all of his siblings and a whole bunch of his nieces and nephews were in town for Cousin Mel's wedding. We had a big celebration at the beach house, and roasted my dad into the wee hours. And I have to say, 70 never seemed so young to me.

"Old School." That's what my brothers call my dad when they play golf. Which they do a lot.

The birthday boy.

My dad and his siblings. They spent the night reminiscing about cold winters in Idaho.

My dad in a nutshell:

He's awesome.
He's a trivia whiz.
Don't even think about trying to beat him in Scrabble.
He's a voracious reader.
And a sports fanatic.
Not a whole lot ruffles his feathers.
He's retired now after a long career in the field of public health administration: two decades with the World Health Organization (developing and implementing health programs to combat a whole host of diseases and other health issues in the Americas) and 2-3 years as the Director of USAID.
Is fluent in Spanish; earned the nickname the Argentine Gringo at work for the Argentine accent picked up on his mission.
Even though he's retired, he remains very busy through multiple volunteer positions: Master Gardener
________ City Planning Commission
Democratic Party District Chair
________ City Arts Council Board of Directors
On the Board of Directors of an international non-profit organization
Adjunct Professor (teaches project management, field epidemiology, and health admin.)
Has a nice bass voice and sings in the choir at church.
Soaks in his hot tub every morning.
Is a kind, fun, generous grandfather.
He maintains a gorgeous garden:

Mom and Dad in Fiji this summer with the international nonprofit org., where Dad helped train college-age participants.

Happy 70th Dad!! I've always been so proud to be your daughter.

Grunion Run

2009-08-21T23:39:00.000-07:00

This summer Scratch and I had a chance to do something different--spend time with my siblings and parents without any children around! Honestly, I think it's been since my wedding that I've hung with all my sibs without any little folk under foot. This time around, my cousin Mel was getting married--in Newport Beach, CA(!!)--and my parents rented a house right on the beach for the weekend. (!!) It was pretty awesome. (All right--to be completely forthcoming, my two infant nieces were along for the trip, but they weren't MINE, which made all the difference. When they cried, I could hand them right back to Mommy or Daddy.)

There were a couple of very special events that weekend, aside from Mel's wedding: my sister's baby shower and my dad's 70th birthday. But more on all that later. For now, I want to talk about the grunion run. Know what that is? I sure didn't. When my youngest brother suggested (at about midnight) that we go outside to see the grunion run, I was thinking that it was along the lines of a Snipe Hunt. If you haven't been on one of those, then you probably didn't grow up with three brothers and several devious cousins, or had Church camp leaders with odd senses of humor. But enough about that, because unlike a Snipe Hunt, the grunion run is actually real.

Here's the low-down: apparently, grunion is a type of fish with very distinct spawning behavior. At high tide, when

"a wave breaks on the beach, grunion swim as far up the slope as possible. The female arches her body and [digs a hole in the sand] with her tail to create a nest. She twists her body and digs until she is half buried in the sand with her head sticking up. She then deposits her eggs in the nest. Male grunion curve around the female and release milt. The milt flows down the female’s body until it reaches and fertilizes the eggs. As many as eight males may fertilize the eggs in a nest. After spawning, the males immediately retreat toward the water while the female twists free and returns with the next wave." (from beachcalifornia.com)

So, there we were--me, Scratch, my youngest brother and his wife, and our middle brother-- standing at the water's edge in the dark, trying to make out grunion when the waves broke. It took awhile for our eyes to adjust. And then, it took another long while of just standing there to realize that we weren't seeing any fish, let alone fish that were performing this spectacular mating dance.

We were thinking of turning in when my youngest brother, probably to save the night, started jumping up and down, his hands pressed firmly at his sides, exclaiming, "Pretend I'm a female grunion!" He started to bore his feet into the sand as if "digging" his nest. Then, he went up to his wife, who was staring at him with an "are you kidding me?" look on her face, and started dancing around her (in male grunion mode now), and then rubbing against her (still with his arms pinned at his sides) while yelling out, "I'm milting! I'm milting!" a la Wicked Witch of the West. It was honestly the funniest thing Scratch and I had seen in a very long time. It was one of those beautiful moments when you laugh so hard, your stomach actually gets a good workout. With the stress at home, Scratch and I badly needed this trip to Cali. I think we badly needed that laugh, too.

So, in the end, we didn't get to see the famous grunion run. But we came away with something better.

Cousin Mel's Wedding

2009-08-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

Why walk down the aisle when you can boogie?The groom's got some moves...
And here comes the bride, 2009 style.

Strut your stuff, Mel!
She was, believe it or not, a shy child...

The get-away car (a.k.a. Uncle Jon's baby)
Bubbles instead of birdseed...I like!
Scary relatives crash the party.

Let me introduce you...
My dad and mom, the Mafia Don and his wife.
big bro E-licious (HIS nickname for himself, just to clarify) and his wife Southern Belle
These two crazy kids
middle bro El Jefe and his wife K (with baby E)
youngest bro Poetix and his wife H-girl (with baby S)
little sis D.Bo and her hub Dr. J

Getting Involved

2009-08-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

I love the community we live in! We are part of the metropolitan area of a large city--so we have all the cultural perks that come with that. But our town is still small enough that I run into people I know whenever I am out and about. I've never lived in an environment like that, and I have to say, I really enjoy it. Also, because of its size, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved that we may not have in a larger town. For instance, this summer Cici was able to participate in two big community events: the first, our town's annual parade and festival. Here she is (center) with her Cheer team:
The second, the musical The Music Man. You know, 76 trombones and all that. Cici didn't have a specific role--she was a townsperson, which initially disappointed her, but she ended up having a great deal of fun. Also, because it's a small town, I actually knew many of the other actors, including my good friend Swiss Miss, who was Alma, a "Pick a Little" lady. She did a fabulous job--her solo part was one that called for excellent diction, rhythm and timing. Even if I had a decent singing voice, I could never have done her part!!
MIL and FIL came down to see the show, as well as Scratch's brother, who was in town with his two cute little blond daughters. Schmobie and his cousin (seated on the right) are 11 days apart. They usually play separately, but when together, they are as thick as thieves. On this night, Schmobie kept feeding his cousin popcorn and grapes. Such the ladies man, especially when it comes to the blondes! What am I to do with this boy?!!
Cici awaits the Wells Fargo train with the rest of the cast. She is front and center, in the brown dress.
After the show, we all greeted our "star" with accolades and flowers!

Let Me See It!

2009-08-02T21:17:00.000-07:00

Schmobie's latest thing: running up to the camera before I am finished taking a picture of him and saying, "Let me see it!" These kids growing up in the digital age know their image will appear immediately! A little frustrating, but it does make for some cute, albeit unanticipated, photos.

Belize--Welcome to the Jungle!

2009-07-27T20:02:00.001-07:00

Finally I'm posting about Bugman's trip to Belize with his grandparents--my MIL and FIL. He had the time of his life, as you'll be able to see in these posts about the trip. There were so many great photos that I divided them amongst 10 different posts--read them all if you wish; I tried to make them fairly short. Or not--I won't hold it against you!

Excerpt from MIL's notebook:

24 June, Wednesday

"We drove to Jaguar Paw (the first destination) along rough, rutted roads. Even the main highway of the country--The Western Highway--although paved, was full of deep potholes. The last few miles to Jaguar Paw were on a dirt road with large rocks and large mudholes. We saw many poor, broken-down but inhabited houses. [Bugman] called them 'crushed houses.' Palm trees were everywhere, and the trees and brush were green and thick. We were surrounded by tropical jungle."

Welcome to Jaguar Paw, the resort where Bugman and his grandparents stayed for the first few days of their trip.

MIL and Bugman relax in front of their room.

Bug and MIL in the jungle...look at the size of those fronds!

Hiking through the rainforest

Whaddya know, it's a tarantula!

The jungle DOES produce things of beauty, too...

Bugman swings through the adventure of a lifetime!

Belize--Zip Line

2009-07-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

25 June, Thursday

"This morning Bugman and Grandpa went on the zip line through the rainforest. Exciting and a little scary."~MIL

Bugman and FIL in gear

Bugman watching how to do it

And there he goes! Bug and FIL did three different zip lines. This line was 85 ft. in the air. The last line was 150 feet!

Belize--Crystal Cave

2009-07-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

25 June, Thursday

"We explored trails through the rainforest and visited Crystal Cave. Bugman climbed down into the cave."~MIL

Belize--Local Fauna

2009-07-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

Leaf-Cutter Ants. These very large ants would climb up trees, cut off leaves with their pincers(?), and then take them to their anthills to store for future use. The leaves are used to build nests and bridges across the jungle floor.

More leaf-cutter ants--in some areas, the ants are quite a nuisance. They can defoliate a tree in less than 24 hours.

Beautiful Glass Butterflies

Owl Butterfly--one wing is as big as your palm!

Excerpt from MIL's notebook:

25 June, Thursday

"...we went to the Belize Zoo where all the animals are native to Belize and were rescued after documentary film makers had used them and discarded them."~MIL

I'm glad you are behind the wire!

just look at that tail--pure muscle

nice kitty, kitty... (Jaguar)

Scarlet Macaw Parrots

Belize--Jaguar Paw Resort

2009-07-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

Jaguar Paw is located in the heart of the jungle. The resort owns the zip-line and a portion of Cave Branch River, so recreation is a quick jungle-trail walk away.

The Resort also owns a tame Howler monkey named Gumbo. Gumbo and Bugman made fast friends...
Gumbo

Bugman beckons...

Plop! Is that a monkey on your head?

"Get 'im off of me!"

Bugman made sure to get his fill of the resort's pool. It is off-season in June, so he had the pool to himself!

Belize--Cave Tubing

2009-07-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

26 June, Friday

"This morning we went cave tubing with our guide Osman. Wearing life jackets and headlamps, we floated down the Cave Branch River through several large caves. We yelled as we went over rapids. We saw bats and a waterfall in Crystal Cave. In one cave Osman saw a poisonous snake swimming in front of us and warned us to turn off our headlamps and be quiet until the snake was gone. We stopped on a beach between two caves to swim and splash in the warm water."~MIL

hiking down the trail to the river

FIL, Osman and Bugman entering the water

MIL, Bugman and Osman. MIL kept a tight grip on Bugman through all of the caves.

Cave Branch River and the mouth of a cave along the way.

Watch out for poisonous snakes! (There are some things that I was glad to learn about after Bugman returned home safely!)

Sure is pretty though...

Belize--Xunantunich

2009-07-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

27 June, Saturday

"...We drove to an ancient Mayan ruin, Xunantunich. We climbed to the top of the highest 'pyramid,' called El Castillo. We saw the ball court. We thought about the people who built this city and lived here. Were they Lamanites?"~MIL

Bugman was a little disappointed that he couldn't scale the whole pyramid in this fashion, but instead had to resort to using the stairs.

Bugman thought this pyramid could have been the tall tower that the Rameumptons built, to "pray" so that other men could see how holy they were.

Belize--Sittee River

2009-07-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

29 June, Monday

"We took a boat ride on the Sittee River with Horace, our guide. We saw many tropical birds and animals: tiger heron, green heron, giant iguanas fighting, enormous butterflies of all colors, hawk, vulture, white crane, great blue heron, insect bats, whistling ducks (instead of quack, quack they whistle), wood storks, tapir. We hoped to see crocodiles but they were all in hiding that day. We also saw many tropical plants and trees: fig tree, bamboo, emery tree, bird-of-paradise flowers, breadfruit tree, mango trees (we picked some fruit), elephant grass, and many other medicinal trees that Belizians use as antibiotics, painkillers, and insect-bite soothers."~MIL

The Sittee River

Mango tree dripping with fruit

proud iguana

Belize--Culture Shock

2009-07-27T16:43:00.001-07:00

"We have been surprised at how poor Belize is. ...People live in houses without glass or screens in the window openings and without doors in the doorway openings. We saw people taking baths and washing clothes in a river. Very few families have cars so they get around on old, dusty bicycles or just walk long distances."~MIL

Belize--Caribbean Dreams

2009-07-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

27-29 June

"We drove along the Hummingbird Highway south to Hopkins Village. Our resort was on the beach of the Caribbean Sea. As soon as we put our suitcases in our Jungle Loft cabin, we went straight to the beach to swim for the rest of the afternoon. Ranger, the resort manager, gave Bugman a boogie board and snorkel equipment to use. This is perhaps the finest beach we have ever seen--large palm trees for shade; fine, white sand on the beach and as far out as you can go in the water; no rocks; no sharp coral or barnacles; warm water; bright sunshine; constant, gentle waves. Paradise, indeed.

"...A Mayan woman and her daughter Isabella spread a cloth on the sand and laid out hand-crafted jewelry and baskets for sale... . Isabella was the same age as Bugman." ~MIL

Jungle loft cabin

FIL and Bugman play Crazy Eights. The three of them would play this every night. According to FIL and MIL, Bugman won nearly every game. Future card shark?

local fishermen

Last view of the Caribbean before returning to the U.S.

Goodbye, Paradise...

Crawfish Fountain

2009-07-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

We've been cooling off at this fountain ever since we moved to the NW 10 years ago.

Cici then...and now.

Some things never change.

Pierced!

2009-07-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

Swiss Miss and I took our daughters to the mall the other day--to get their ears pierced!! A momentous day for the girls, and for their moms!

Cici holds Li'l Swiss Miss's hand for moral support.

Now it's Cici's turn. She's not so sure about this! (The store provides a teddy bear to cling to!)

We told her if she smiles, it wouldn't hurt so much. Didn't work!
And, the girls with their newly pierced ears. Too cute!

How old were you when you first had your ears pierced? (My answer: 13)

My Latest Addiction

2009-07-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

These little jars are my own piece of heaven! They are called One Minute Manicures, but it's really for your skin. Every night before bedtime I rub the moisturizing scrub all over my hands, feet, elbows...and then rinse. The packaging claims the scrub moisturizes, exfoliates and conditions...is it true? Who cares! It feels great, and smells absolutely divine. A nice way to send myself off to dreamland!

What's your latest addiction?