My Job...

Okay, so I must admit every once in a while I have a twinge of regret that I am no longer gainfully employed. I would be dishonest to say that I don't miss having my own paycheck. Even more than that though, I miss using that part of my brain. I am sometimes fearful by the time I am available to go "back to work" ('cause you know all I do now is eat Bon Bons and shop; Peg Bundy, anyone?) that I will have forgotten how to have an adult conversation, much less actually manage adults. I know that many of my friends have found great satisfaction and financial reward working as independent sales reps for some wonderful companies. Unfortunately for me, I have absolutely no interest in selling anything ever again... Nine years working for different divisions of Lazarus/Macy's forever cured me of the sales bug. So, I guess recently somewhere in my subconscious I have been getting a little restless...

Until this morning...

As I took Princess M to school this morning, I encountered some middle school children harassing a child from M's school. "F" words were flying, and I was not having it. Long story short, apparently there is some history among these neighbor children. I don't really care what the history is.... No child is going to be bullied in front of me. So, as another Mom helped the child in question, I got a school administrator who hopefully was able to take ALL of the necessary info to handle this particular incident.

What a moment of clarity for me! All of a sudden it was abundantly clear why I MUST be here for my girls. I know I cannot protect them from everyone or everything. I also know no one else can and/or will advocate or outright fight for them like C and me. So, while he is providing for us, I will continue to do what I do. I think my Dad (one really smart dude!) is exactly right. He commented the other day when I called myself a sucker for getting myself wrangled into the Fall Festival, that he spent his entire career as a school principal pushing for parental involvement. So, until further notice, I will continue to be "just a stay at home Mom" who happens to spend a whole lot of time REALLY involved in my girls' lives. I am sure they will be thrilled (especially by high school...) Can you imagine the techie gadgets C will have by then for surveillance? I guess we will have to get rid of the baby monitors by the time they are in their teens.

On a side note, we are getting our decorating for Halloween done this weekend. Doesn't everyone have a six foot inflatable ghost mobile and pumpkin landscape lights for Halloween? In honor of this most auspicious holiday I am including some oldie but goodies Halloween pics.

Who wouldn't love this Care Bear? Circa 2004

We spent a day at a family owned pumpkin patch in Lawton OK in October 2005. These kids had the time of their life...

My pick of the patch....

Halloween party at our church in 2006. What a cute pair of devils...sorry R (not really) and yes, I did take my child to church dressed as a devil...

School Days

Well, we are all officially settled in our new routine. C has begun his classes and it seems he will have no shortage of reading and writing to keep him occupied. He is happy to be a student again. I am happy Uncle Sam is paying for it...

Our other star student is making great progress in kindergarten. It seems her transition to full- time student has been almost effortless. Her only complaint is that she misses our regular play dates with all of our old pals. Apparently a full day of school, complete with three recesses, does not fulfill our play quota.

L and I, it seems, will have multiple opportunities to entertain ourselves with volunteer projects at the school. I agreed to "help out" with the upcoming Fall Festival. I was thinking you know donate a cake, work an hour in a booth etc.... Suddenly I find myself the "Booth Coordinator" for the whole shindig. I feel fairly certain they saw my "Sucker" name tag from a mile away.

.

I thought you might like to see some examples of what M is doing in school. Apparently 5 year olds are much smarter than they used to be. I know for certain that I was not reading, writing journal entries, and doing "book reports" in Kindergarten. In all honesty, some of her work taxes my brain now...

The following is a journal entry for the letter C. They have to write one sentence about anything they choose related to the letter and draw a picture. M chose to write "Carina the camel lives in the desert." She drew the pic complete with cactus and flies totally unassisted. I have mentioned that I have NO artistic ability, right? The only thing I did was sound out each word so she could spell out her sentence.

The second example is a book report. We read the book together and then she draws a picture of her favorite part and writes a caption. Her book was Cinderella Penguin. Her caption reads "The Great Fairy Penguin dressed Cinderella for the ball." Again, all I did was help her sound out each word so she could write her sentence. Who needs spellchecker if you have a kindergartner around for Pete's sake?

Obviously, C and I are thrilled that M is loving school so much. My only concern lies in how quickly she will surpass my ability to assist her. At this rate, it may be soon...

There's always next year...

It seems the longer we live away from Louisville, the harder we take our Cards' losses. I am not quite sure how in the span of one year we go from true contenders to be National Champs (darn you Rutgers!) to a 2-2 record and a loss to Syracuse? I am just glad we don't live there today to see all the flaming write-ups in the CJ. I am sure they are going to be gunning for Coach K's head. Personally, I blame Coach P but he has his own worries down in Atlanta...LOL


Since a good number of you probably have no interest in Cardinal Athletics (shame on you!), I will move on.


I don't have any more antics to share with you as it is only 7:45am Pacific time. Nothing exciting has happened so far this morning, so as Grandma says the pics are always welcome, I thought I would insert a random sampling of faves.

This guy did not like me...
Footloose and Fancy Free....
Can you say CHEESE?

Now, that's quite a hatchling...

I am off to get ready for Church. I hope you all have a Blessed day!

Plans, Shmans...

Welcome Home R!!! I have just been waiting for an opportunity to use the pic of you and C, the Barbie Pole and the whoppers you caught.... What better opportunity?

In honor of our happiness that our dear friend R returned safely to OK yesterday after four months in a lovely, scenic corner of the Caribbean, I got the bee in my bonnet to organize and arrange our front patio to accommodate our fire pit. You see our two families spent many an hour around that fire pit in our two years in OK. Songs were sung (badly), stories were told (and retold after a couple of refreshments), plans were made. R even had his very own designated "fire stick". Truth be told, he has a little pyro in him. That stick was one of the very last things I disposed of as we cleared our patio to pass our out inspection. I actually laughed and was a little sad at the same time.

So, last night was to be our first fire at the new home. We cleaned the patio, collected kindling, bought firewood (and refreshments, of course), and we were set (sorely missing our partners in crime, of course). The kids were bathed and tucked in bed and guess what? The very first rain we have seen, since we arrived on July 30, began to come crashing down. Wouldn't you know it? I must admit, it was nice to listen to the rain through the open windows all night. It's a much more peaceful sleep accompaniment than the slamming of the garbage cans by voracious raccoons. I was actually excited for the rain until C mentioned the notorious CA mud slides.... You see our luxurious purple townhouse (still can't believe my home is lavender) is nestled right into the side of a hill. Directly above us (straight up) is another row of townhouses... Needless to say, we will be watching all future flooding situations closely. I guess this is another reason to justify our purchase of the Armada. If need be, we can use it as our ark. C already called it our new mobile home. (Private note to Scott and Delight, you knew it was just a matter of time....)

Since our fire plans were rain-delayed, we were forced to move inside to have another rousing Wii challenge. I don't think I will ever physically bowl with a real ball again. It would be crushing to score less than 190. Cyber bowling is the way to go. Sadly, cyber golf doesn't improve my handicap at all, and let's just say that former softball players should stay away from all forms of tennis...

A couple of pics of M doing some Wii bowling the other evening. That's my girl, check out that form!

Another unrelated pic, but check out the cool chick in the shades...LOL

Yes, We're still here...

Sorry to all of those who have been anxiously awaiting the latest A team news. No, the mountain lions haven't carted us off. We did incidentally follow a six point buck up our driveway the other night. The real reason for the lack of blogging has been my mood. First our Cards had to go and lose to UK this weekend. Second, we have been car shopping. Remember our flawless logic about selling both cars and buying one new one?

Well.... Forget about all that.

I really should backtrack a bit. When we made our original plan, it was under the assumption we were going to be here 18 months and then moving on. Now we have discovered we will be here roughly two years. The extended stay will involve a little more uphill (very big hill) travel that C is not anxious to do a couple times a day on a bike. So, we are back to keeping our lovely little Volvo. Needless to say, the not so beloved van still had to go. Voila, here we were this weekend doing the dreaded car shopping with two ever so patient princesses in tow. I must admit, they were actually angels for the three hour stint Saturday at the Nissan dealer. Mommy however, needed a couple of glasses of Monterey's finest by the end of the evening. Still no new car, mind you. I will skip over the sordid details of the subsequent three days. Suffice to say my wonderful husband took the reins and we have a beautiful new SUV. I hope to never speak to a car dealer ever again.

What sporty little wonder did we select you ask?

Why, the biggest car on the market, of course. I think there may be a little overcompensating going on here for moving into our smallest home yet. We may now have to sell blood to pay for gas, but we are the happy owners of a new Nissan Armada. Princess M fell in love with it instantly. Her exact quote was "look Mom, it has enough seats for all of us and Grandma and Papa and Granny and Gramps..." This was totally unprompted and should be worth some good brownie points. She also was very impressed with "the really cool cup holders". Those definitely take the sting out of the sticker shock...LOL.

So, now my mood has lifted and I should again be able to regale you with all of our thrilling exploits. Sadly after much introspection, the aforementioned deer really was the only other highlight of our week thus far. Now that the car shopping is done, and no blood was shed, there is still hope for the rest of the week.

Hope you all have a great one!

Here are the requisite shots of the girls for all those back home.

Grace in Motion.

I am so glad that Princess M is still very focused on her goal to one day be a real ballerina. She has just begun her third year of formal lessons and is truly loving it. Now in all honesty, I truly have doubts that any daughter of mine, remember I am 5 foot 6 and have never been referred to as lithe or statuesque, will make prima ballerina level. Genetics aside though, the drive is there. What I sincerely hope is that it continues to give her joy and maybe, just possibly, a smidgen more natural grace than her mother. As you all well know, I am the proverbial bull in the china shop.



Point in case, the other night. My new friend Kirstin invited me to her jewelry party. I had a perfectly lovely time. Great food, wonderful wine (all from Monterey and not a box in sight), and terrific company. What a pleasure to get to gab with other women and shop without a rugrat in sight. So, three fast hours later I headed for home. One would assume I could make it a quarter mile home without incident. One would assume wrong. I have mentioned before our lack of parking. I believe I have also mentioned our hills and mountain lion sightings.... Okay, so I really wasn't concerned about big cats, but I am still pretty much a chicken in the dark by myself. Suffice to say, my run up the hill in flip flops and a skort did not end so gracefully. I have a very sore hand. I will have yet another scar to add to the always growing collection. I blame it all on my lack of interest in dance as a child. Why, oh why, did I insist on only competing in sports which involved projecting myself at the ground at high speeds?



So the scabs will heal, the scars will fade (not really...) but I will still be lacking anything even resembling grace. There is hope, however, for my girls. I am including a pic and you can guess which one is most closely following in my footsteps...

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This is NOT a democracy...

No fear. This is not a political entry.

Today's title refers to our household.

Somewhere along the way it seems the inmates, our totally beloved offspring, got the impression that they were running the asylum. This is NOT the case. As such C and I have adopted our new mantra.

THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRACY.

This is our new answer to the age old question. Yes, we are, in fact, the boss of you. As you can imagine, we have not totally worked out the whole hierarchy between C and I. There is some question of ultimate authority, but really those are minor details.

Take for instance this morning. I had just returned from dropping M off at school. C and I were in some very important conversation (I have no idea what...) when my precious little L marched into the kitchen and announced "stop talking Mama!!!!" Excuse me? Much bigger people than you, my little one, have tried unsuccessfully for years to shut me up. I must admit that momentarily I was stunned into silence, but I recovered quickly. We have recently discovered with L that only completely ignoring her will stop a fit. Our new method of correction is to move her to a nice soft spot on the carpet and let her rip. She will then throw herself down face first, again on the carpet mind you, and raise the rooftop. Thank goodness we no longer have the old Altus hardwood floors throughout. The child would be purple. Anyway, now when she gets mad, all we have to do is say go to the carpet L and away she goes. It's very hard to be too annoyed at a tantrum when you are so busy laughing at her as she locates a nice soft spot to land.

This morning's "request" though does follow a recurring theme with L. If any of you have ever travelled with me, you know I must sing in the car. You most likely also know that I should not sing...unless you are tone deaf (lucky you!) The radio stations here are a little sketchy. The only thing we can get with great regularity is classical (not a fave of mine) and Tejano. The only Spanish I speak is from Dora, and I don't particularly care for the accordion so Tejano is out for me as well. SO, we listen to a lot of kids CDs. "If you like to talk to tomatoes," sing along all you Veggie Tales lovers. (I know you're out there Aunt Elizabeth!) Anyway, I know them all and proudly I sing. Usually within the first two stanzas you will hear a loud little voice from the backseat yelling..."Don't sing Mama!" How rude can you be, really? I gave birth to this little runt. There is one exception. I am always allowed to sing "The Wheels on the Bus". This is only because I am the only person who will do all of the verses with all of the hand motions, and yes, while driving. Makes you glad not to be driving in CA doesn't it?



Another funny little aside to our car radio adventures. This past Sunday in church C informed me one of the worship songs was the wrong tempo. How does a rocker know this you ask? Because one of M's all time fave CDs for the car is Worship Jamz. Boy the times have changed.

Today's pic is just because I can hear Grandma and Granny now insisting that the little angel L would never need a time out. I think the look on her face says it all.

As a final note today, I tried to think of a way to best address today's date. I finally decided that it goes without saying that none of us will ever forget. I will leave the proper tributes to those who are so much more capable. I think the best I can do is to just continue to contribute some levity when I can to an otherwise very serious world.

Can You Follow the Logic?

Let's start with some personal history. I have owned four vehicles in my twenty-one years of driving. Not a bad average, I must say. In 1986 my Dad allowed me to appropriate his 1985 Toyota Corolla. In 1993, I finally gave it back. I had just purchased my brand new Cardinal red and black (I still insist it was not orange, no matter what C says! Ford called it "Vibrant Red") Ford Explorer Sport! I loved that car to death, literally. Eight years and four, yes four, clutches later a dealer mercifully gave me approximately $1600. in trade-in value towards my new Hyundai Santa Fe. Luckily the dealer's test drive of my old rust bucket was just around the block. They never discovered it had been missing a 5th gear for over a year. Don't ask, don't tell you know... All jokes aside it was going straight to the wholesale lot. I did not knowingly or otherwise defraud anyone (if C ever does run for office, I guess these blogs could come back to haunt me if I don't clarify...LOL). So, back to the Santa Fe. I loved this little SUV. We were expecting M and this was going to be our little family truckster. I was adamantly and vehemently and ? (what else means Hell NO?) opposed to any suggestion of a minivan, EVER! The Hyundai was a perfect little car, only an idiot would trade it. Skip forward two years and enter one aforementioned idiot.


We had just moved to San Antonio and were planning a week long trip to South Padre Island with my folks. They were flying in to SA and we would all ride together to the coast. Needless to say, four adults, one car seat, one pack-n-play, and luggage for five for a week would not all fit in the Santa Fe. When I started researching rentals for a week that would accommodate us all, I nearly had a fit... Have I mentioned before my propensity to be somewhat um thrifty? So, suddenly the wheels were turning. This is always dangerous. This is how I found myself having the following conversation with C.

• Me: "I want to make a proposal. I want you to say yes or no. Under no circumstance may you laugh at me or call me crazy."






• C: " Oh my God, what did you do?"


• 
  


• Me: " I am serious."


• 
  


• C. "Just tell me, what did you do?"

This went on for a while, and yes, this is pretty much verbatim. I have a very good memory for the conversations in life I most wish I could forget.


Suffice to say, I talked myself into buying a minivan. Have I mentioned, I HATE minivans. My apologies to Kim, Becky, Jen, and my folks. You are all of my favorite people. You all love your vans. I am so glad that you all are so thrilled with your vehicles. On this one topic we will have to agree to disagree... I was SO sure that if I bought a really cool minivan, you know black, all leather, sunroof, tinted windows, etc. it would be just great. Not so much. It seems you just cannot trick out a minivan enough to make me overcome my deep-seated loathing. I have now driven this monstrosity for nearly four years. C has done his best to not say "I told you so" more than a couple of times a week for four years. We have been telling everyone we know since we found out we were coming here that when we left CA, the minivan was not coming with us. We now realize that we are really only going to use one car here. We only have one designated parking spot, so we must play a cat and mouse game with our four neighbors over our two "guest" spots. Rumor has it that when C does actually start classes in two weeks, parking is so scarce at the school that those in the know have already started walking. Joking aside, it seems most everyone bikes to school. This is quite a testimony to their fitness as the hills here are murder. Never push a jogging stroller here in $3 Target flip flops... (that's another blog entry all in itself)


SO, we now have listed for sale...






Wait for it....







You guessed it...







The VOLVO ?!?

Now you just have to bear with me for a minute to get to the whole logic thing. Yes, this is the vehicle we actually do like. It is also however, somewhat cozy to be our only mode of transportation at this stage. Jogging strollers take up a lot of room. As do sand buckets, coolers, chairs, dogs, etc. You get the drift. SO, we are going to ultimately get rid of both of our current rides and head back into the world of the SUV. Do NOT ask which one as we are only dealing with one process at a time. We are hoping this whole mess is done by Christmas. All I know for sure is that if I ever again speak of changing my long held opinion on something as big as oh say, a car. Somebody shoot me.

By the way, if anyone is interested in an awesome car or a much loathed, but perfectly functional, minivan, you know who to contact.

I do have a couple of additional commercial announcements today!

First, we have a dear friend celebrating a birthday this week. So everyone join us in wishing Rachel a great Birthday!We are so sorry Rachel that we could not find a more recent digital pic of you. This one from the Christmas of 2002, though was too cute to pass up. Besides when else can I post a pic of my Mom in antlers?

My second commercial is about one of my favorite topics, shoes. I have recently discovered TOMS shoes. This company gives one pair of shoes to a needy child for EVERY pair they sell. The shoes are great and the mission is better. They have given out 10000 shoes to kids in Argentina and are planning on giving 40000 this year to kids in Africa. Check them out at http://www.tomsshoes.com/ . They are even cute in my monstrous size 9.

When I received my pair they sent me a discount code to pass along to my friends... So, if you are in the market enter 1PAIR4FEET in the special code box on their website and you get $5. off. Note to you other parents of little ones. The kids patterns are adorable, and look no laces or velcro... I am on the waiting list for two pair of pink camo....too cute.

My last ad of the day is purely narcissistic. When you stop in and read these little nuggets of my wisdom. Wait a minute, I must stop laughing. You may notice a small place marked comments at the end of each entry. Huge thanks to Jen, Elizabeth, and Kirstin who have all had nice things to say. I am open to, and asking for, all comments. Even criticisms are welcome. I am strong. I can take it. I can also stick my tongue out at you on screen and you can't see it. See, I am mature too. All kidding aside, I would love to know you're out there and still getting my warped sense of humor. (PS, Mom, You will be thrilled to know that I just ran the spellcheck on this post and I got narcissistic right on the 1st try all by myself. Aren't you so proud?)

Off to get ready for church. Have a Blessed Day!

A Long Time Coming....

So, today's entry is going to be a little different. I need to start with a warning. Any of you of the male gender who are still reading this blog (except probably Papa) may want to go ahead and log off now. This is going to be long (surprise...) and sentimental (sappy...) Any one who REALLY knows me, knows that deep down (and sometimes right there on the surface) I am a VERY emotional person. As C will attest to, I cry at all things patriotic. I cannot even watch the military flybys or the National Anthem on Sunday NFL games without shedding tears. It's almost impossible for me to make it through a church service without waterworks. This Sunday it was "How Great Thou Art". I cannot hear this song without hearing my dearly beloved late Uncle Roy belting it out at the top of his lungs while my Dad accompanied on piano... It was usually followed by "Amazing Grace" and then some assorted medley of Conway Twitty and Charlie Rich. So, the point is, I know myself. I often avoid conversations of gratitude to avoid embarrassing myself. I have decided now though, that this blog is the perfect forum for me to say some long overdue public thank-yous. This way I can get through it and stay on track!

First and foremost, I am blessed with C, M, and L. They are, without a doubt, the reason I was put on this earth! There is nothing more I can say. This particular blog is not, however, about them. I do try to make sure they know they are appreciated everyday.

This blog is about some of the incredible women in my life. There have been times in my life when I thought many of the women around me were primarily catty and not worth my time. All girls' schools and sororities seem to bring out a lot of not so attractive female traits...
It is only now as I am struggling daily to raise two strong beautiful girls, that I am so aware of how blessed I am to have so many great female influences!

There are actually too many people to mention by name, but a few absolutely cannot go unnamed so here we go. (In no particular order...LOL)

Kim B.

Wow, we have been friends for over 30 years. We have definitely seen the good, the bad and the ugly (short hair with perms..what were we thinking?) You are such a blessing. As kids we had our ups and downs. How could we not have? We are still two of the most hard-headed and competitive women I know. I guess it's finally okay to just own up to it and embrace it. I am thankful everyday to know that you are out there still choosing to be my friend. I know that your 3 precious ones keep you on overdrive. I am humbled that you still take the time out to catch up with me. I expect that we really will grow old together, even if we physically live across the world. Time has shown that very few others will put up with me that long!


Becky S.

You may be the latest addition to my list of unforgettable women, but I feel like you have been with me forever. You (and your beautiful family) made Altus OK the most wonderful place to live. You have given me so much perspective. I look at you and the way you interact with your kids, and I see the woman I want to be. There are so many things I feel I never thanked you properly for (most recently the beautiful going away presents you gave us). The biggest gift you gave me was your willingness to share your time and your family. Some of our lazy, totally unproductive days at the park, pumpkin patch, lake, etc., will go down as some of our most treasured family memories. Time and distance will separate us now, but catching up with you will always be a priority.


Jen.

Where do I start? If I had been blessed with a sister, it would've been you. The times we have weathered together have bound us for life. I can only hope that my two girls will share a similar bond as they go through life's trials and tribulations. I know that the tough times we have survived together may define us, but I must admit that the fun times are what I remember most. Give us some good music girl and clear the floor. We will always be the last ones standing (dripping with sweat and ravenous, but standing all the same).


Kenwyn W.

You have shared so much JOY with me. Your friendship with my Mom has set the standard by which I judge my own relationships. The times it has been most difficult to live so far away from my folks, have always been made more tolerable by the knowledge I can reach out to you and have a direct pipeline to home. I can only hope that I might someday influence some young woman as much as you have me.


Regina

OK, I tear up before I even start. You are the most wonderful blessing to me. First and foremost, you created and nurtured a beautiful son. You made him a man who loves and respects women. What better gift is there that you have shared him with me? Beyond the obvious though, is the person you are in MY life. How many women can truly consider their mother-in-law a best friend? You inspire me daily with your devotion to family, work, friends, and of course, God. I am so proud to be a part of your family!


Lastly and definitely most importantly, my very own hero, my Mom.

Everything good I have and I am are a direct testimony to the woman who made me. Like all mothers and daughters, there have been ups and downs (my teenage years...) but I am certain with every fiber of my being that I would not have the beautiful life I love without your example. My mom was the first one to support me when I decided, at the last minute, to quit work and stay home with M. It had never been discussed and she was most likely quite surprised. Truth be told she may have actually been a little alarmed (knowing my personality fairly well...) However, her support then and since has been unwavering. She is the one who taught me to give and demand respect. I can only hope that I can pass that most essential lesson along as well to my girls. I am so proud of my Mom and forever proud to be her daughter.

So, I feel better now. I have done my best to share my thanks with a few people I may have often taken for granted. As a true sign of my friendship, I am not including pics in this blog. As I was going through our library of thousands of pics looking for the best one of each of you, I found out that I must be a very bad photographer. As gorgeous as you all are, all of my pics are not so, shall we say, favorable. I assumed all goodwill would be lost if I included said pics, so I will refrain in the interest of harmony. I promise from now on to stay on the lighter side of our daily adventures, but hey it's my blog so who knows? I warned you.

Homework...

OK, so who knew that when your child enters kindergarten, YOU start getting homework? I have now cut out frogs, stapled rainbows, collated several early readers, and even assembled 64 felt mice with 128 googly eyes. I am actually leaving out a few things, but you get the idea. Kindergartners these days complete a LOT of projects in a few short hours each day (and according to C we must keep ALL of these masterpieces for posterity). Now someone must do the prep work for all of these projects. Our beloved teacher, Ms. Shugars, cannot possibly do it all as well as teaching 20 five-year-olds and caring for our classroom zoo of one "Cosmo" chameleon, two frogs "Hoppy" and "...The Other Frog", one field mouse "MiMi", and several spiders (and yes, the spiders were caught by hand and are hand fed...YUCK). Oops, mustn't forget the aquarium full of crickets to feed Cosmo. So, it falls to us Moms and Dads to fill in the gaps. Each day as I drop off M, I check the parents' homework counter to see what needs to be done. I have managed to dodge a bullet twice now, where the project at hand came with directions which included the words "be creative". Keep in mind, although I was blessed with some musical talent, some athletic talent, a gift for gab, and even a tiny bit of my Dad's poetic skill, I am in no way an artist! I am not sure where M's artistic leaning comes from as I have played Pictionary with her Dad (once...) and let's just say we were not the victors. (Go Team Sides..) Anyway, I have gone seriously offtrack here, but if you ever speak with me directly this is making perfect sense.

So, I was doing my homework this weekend and M wanted to know why I "HAD" to do it. I explained to her that I actually enjoyed it (apologies to Mom and Dad who only had to wait for my mid-30's for that to happen). I went on to explain to her how once she and L are both in school full-time I would like to go back to school again. Her immediate response... wait for it... "you mean a school for old people". Yes, my dear M, that's exactly what Mommy meant. SO, now not only am I still trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up, but apparently I will qualify for the senior citizen tuition rate. You know me, anything for a discount! On that same note, I am looking for a future career that will combine my love of chemistry (or cooking, essentially the same thing), my previous management and public relations skills, and allow me to move with my family every 2 years. I also consider it a requirement to actually be home with my kids and husband for dinners and homework. So as you can see, employers and venture capitalists will be lining up at the door to interview me. I think my dear friend Becky is right. By the time my kids are both in school, if I have any brain power left, it may be best spent working part time at a cool store with a huge discount. Watch out Pottery Barn, here I come...

Well it's time to get dinner together and get ready for our homework. C and I both have lunch patrol at school tomorrow. I am betting one 20 minute lunch with L's assistance and they won't be requesting us both anymore...

A couple of random pics from our Labor Day jaunt...

"Labor" Day...

Hello again.

We have had another lovely couple of non-laboring days... Nothing really earth-shattering has happened here, so I will just share a couple of random things.

Friday night we went to the beach after dinner. M was wishing to check in on the plight of the sand dollars. Happily I can report that a few more lucky dollars were returned to the sea. We even got C in on the search and rescue mission this time. The water was beautiful. We were treated to a real show of acrobatics by a few dolphins. I don't know who was more excited, M or me, to see them jumping through the wakes. They were completely clearing the water. Of course, I was not fast enough with my tiny digital camera to catch any pics. I am afraid, that all of the incredible photo ops here already have me pining for a new camera. You know one of those "cheapies" with the telephoto lens... Dear Santa... Oh yes, back to the beach, I know those of you sweltering in OK and KY won't believe this, but we eventually left because we were freezing.

It has actually been pretty warm here the last few days. It has made it over 80 which is hot here on the coast. We are always at least 10 degrees cooler than they are inland. NO ONE here has AC. It is just not done. I had to laugh at the school the other day when another mom said this humidity is killing me... It was all I could do not to snort. Obviously, these folks have never been to San Antonio, Louisville, Atlanta...

Yesterday was C's volunteer day at Pebble Beach. His armband identified him as "environmental services" you read "trash bag collector". Apparently though, he was actually not at the bottom tier. That honor belonged to those with "ecology" on their bands. You guessed it...they had the port-o-potties. All jokes aside, you know it is a seriously upscale place when volunteers replacing garbage bags to raise money for the elementary school are required to wear collared shirts and dockers. He did mention they had the best popsicles ever !?! The exact quote was "it's like a smoothie on a stick". I have to admit in 10 years I have never seen the man eat a popsicle or a smoothie for that matter. You learn something new everyday. Those of you who know me well, already know I will spend the next few weeks on a popsicle quest. When C actually comments on how good something is, I kick into overdrive to replicate it. This is not to say that he is hard to please. It's just that in all matters food-related, he has been spoiled all of his life by Mama P and his mom R. I believe I can count on one hand the number of times he has really been impressed with anyone else's cooking. Luckily my Mom is also a culinary master and passed along just enough skill to me to suffice! Back to Pebble Beach, he was very impressed with the junior female entrant from KY. He said her drive was phenomenal! Go Girl!

So, if you want to play here when you visit us, and you don't mind mortgaging your house and selling your plasma to cover your greens fees... C can drive your cart and give you a personal tour. He will have to be your caddy though, as we do not have a house to sell.

Have a wonderful day!