The Carlson Zoo

Brazil!!!

2012-01-01T10:38:00.000-08:00

We are in Brazil!!

I wanted to record our adventures on the blog, but I couldn´t get in, and as I became increasingly more frustrated it was clear that one of two things was going to have to happen: 1) I would have to throw the computer out the window, or 2) I would have to start a new blog. As the computer belongs to my friend Rafael, I thought it best to start a new blog. I´m going to try to link to it, but just in case Blogger won´t let me, here is the address:

http://www.thecarlsonzoogoestobrazil.blogspot.com

Tschao! (That´s portuguese for Good-bye!)

Blame it on the Chickens

2011-07-09T22:45:00.001-07:00

We were in the car the other day when the subject of mothers came up. Specifically why mothers had to be so bossy and mean. Like me. "Well, on the bright side, you only have one mother to deal with." I told the girls. "I had two."
"TWO mothers bossing you around!?!" they exclaimed in horror.
"Yep. But then again, I also get twice the love, so that's good."
"Tutu and Mimi are your mothers, right mommy?" asked Ava "How can they both be your mother?"
"Well, Tutu and Poppy were my mother and father when I was born, and then they stopped being married. Then Poppy married Mimi and she became my mother too."
"But why did Tutu and Poppy stop being married?" asked Cate

****Danger! Danger! Danger!******Back away from topic!****Danger! Danger! Danger!****

"Weellllll...." I began, silently cursing myself for going down this particular conversational road....

"It was because of the chickens, right mommy?" says Ava.
"The chickens?"
"Yes. Because Tutu had all those chickens and Poppy didn't like them. So he married Mimi instead because she only has dogs and cats and he liked dogs and cats".

"Yes. That's just it. It was because of those darn chickens."

See? Someone needs to tell the Republicans it's not the gays that are threatening marriage - it's the chickens they need to be keeping an eye on......

Marriage = man + woman NOT Marriage = man + woman + chickens

Dyslexia? I wish.

2011-07-09T22:43:00.000-07:00

For our visit to Chicago I packed the tops I had embroidered for the girls so as to show them to their grandma. Ava, of course, happily put hers on and showed grandma how she had helped pick the colors, etc. etc. Cathryn, on the other hand, took one look at the top and proceeded to have a nuclear-power-plant-worthy meltdown.

How could I possibly ask her to wear this horrific monstrosity? Didn't I know that she hated it? HATED! IT! and would NEVER wear it, not in a million billion infinity years! EVER!

Just in case I was not sure if she liked it or not.

Fine. Got it. You don't like the shirt. BUT, and this is a big BUT, let's take a moment to talk about civility. And how, if someone spends a great deal of effort making you something, you need to be grateful. Even if you don't like it. Even if that person gave birth to you.

NOOOOOOO!!!! I will not EVER like it! I *HATE* grateful! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

So I told her that she did not have to wear the shirt, I wasn't going to force her, but I thought she was behaving very rudely, she had hurt my feelings and I didn't want to talk to her for a while. And I left the room and went to read a magazine full of young, single, childless women, clearly enjoying their young, single, childless lives. A few minutes later Cate comes up and yells "Fine! I'm SORRY!". To which I reply: Cathryn, you are old enough to understand that when you are rude and hurt someone's feelings, yelling "I'm sorry" at them isn't enough to make things right. I am still angry with you. Please leave me alone. She throws herself to the ground in mortal agony; my words have wounded her to the quick! When she sees that I am ignoring her she huffs off dramatically. (Probably going to tell on me to grandma)

She comes back about 5 minutes later and thrusts a piece of paper into my face. "I made this for you" she snots. It is a drawing of a woman (presumably me) and a little girl (presumably her) standing together. Both are smiling. On it she has scrawled LOVE MOMMY, although the "love" part is backwards (E-V-O-L; isn't that precious?). My heart softens. "Are you telling me you love me?"

"No. It says 'Evil Mommy'."

Of course. Thanks, kid. Have I told you lately that you are NOT my favorite?

Friendship

2011-07-09T22:28:00.001-07:00

I went walking with Michelle this morning, around the track at Mt. SAC. As we were heading up one of the more killer hills I was suddenly attacked by a bee. I say ATTACKED. I have never witnessed this type of behavior in Apoidea, and let me tell you it was quite unsettling. The thing lodged itself in my hair, at which point it became entangled in my -ahem- glorious mane. Seriously, I could not get this thing out, and I could hear it buzzing around, close to my ear, just trying to get into my brain. I'm jumping all over the trail, hair flying wildly around me, yelling BEE! BEE! BEE! at the top of my lungs. Michelle finally stops laughing and attempts to help me by combing her fingers through my hair, saying "I don't feel anything. Are you sure it's still in there?" YES! YES! DON'T YOU HEAR IT BUZZING?!? She continues to comb through my hair, all the while yelling at me to keep still dammit! This goes on for a few minutes: her combing, me wailing, the bee getting angrier and angrier, at which point Michelle proclaims "I just want you to know I AM NOT CHANGING YOUR DIAPERS. You are on your own." At which point the bee is finally extracted from my hair and promptly goes after Michelle, because it senses her evilness.
Now who's a whiny bitch, huh? HUH?
In the end the bee flew off, probably disgusted with us both. And while Shell may not ever change my diapers she was there for me when I needed her today, and really what more can you ask of a friend?

Did You Know?

2011-05-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

Just a few factoids to keep in mind as we grumble through our day:

*Half the world's population is living without access to clean drinking water. (BBC)

*At least 80% of the world's population lives on less than $10 a day. (globalissues.org)

*25% of the world's population doesn't have electricity. (Baker Institute)

*Three quarters of the world doesn't have internet access. (internetworldstats.com)

Living in the land of plenty (Southern California), it is often difficult to comprehend and appreciate just how stinking lucky we have it. I am trying to do this more, and find that facts like these help to keep me grounded. What thoughts help you to stay grounded? Share!

I Be Jammin'

2011-05-22T21:51:00.001-07:00

What's that? Why yes, I have been busy. Quite busy. Doing what? Oh, you know, this and that......a bit of grading, moving my entire lab to a different building, making jam, folding laundry. You know, the usual. What? That third thing? Making jam? Yes, I make my own jam. I've been doing it since......let's see.......two Fridays ago. Practically forever.

I MAKE MY OWN JAM!!!! BY MYSELF!!!

It wasn't always like this, oh no. I, too, used to buy my jam, hanging my head in shame, desperate and confused, not knowing where to turn. But then one day, I was hanging out with my friend Elise and noticed a bunch of empty jars on her table. "What are these for?" I asked. "Oh, yeah" she answered. "Strawberries are coming in, so I'm gonna make some jam tomorrow". Just. Like. That. No big deal, no hours of preparation, no crushing anxiety. So I asked the magical Elise if she would share her secrets of jam-making with me. And she did. And it was good.

When we were finished I still had some strawberries left over. So guess what I did? I made MY OWN jam the next day. Just like that. Took Elise's recipe, semi-combined it with another recipe I found online (adding balsamic vinegar!), and made my own jam. All by myself. And it was good.

AND, so far no one has died. Bonus!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

The kids had a sleepover at their friend Amelie's house on Saturday night, so my *real* Mother's Day gift was the opportunity to sleep in on Sunday morning. However, they were upset that they did not get to give me breakfast in bed. Apparently on Mother's Day it is imperative that one be served some sort of food product while in bed. So, I was awakened from a lovely afternoon nap by three midgets bearing a tray of:

They shelled the peanuts themselves, the little dears.

For Mom

2011-05-07T23:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, YES. I suck. But you see, I've been busy. Doing stuff. What kind of stuff, you ask? A few little things.....some booties, a hat. But mostly these: little tops I made from a pair of pillowcases. I embroidered them for the girls for Easter presents. I told mom about them and she asked for pictures, which I immediately never sent to her. Because I am an awesome daughter like that. She also sent me a lovely Mother's Day card. I, on the other hand, thought briefly about calling her, but then ended up getting coffee instead. Again: awesome daughter.

So mom, this is for you. Happy Mother's Day.

All pictures were taken with my iPhone in crappy light. Sorry 'bout that, but if I waited for 1) the good camera (Brian's camera that only Brian is allowed to touch) and 2) good light, then this would probably not be happening at all. So.

First up, Ava's top. She is very into mermaids these days.
The front:

The blonde mermaid:
Ariel:

Ariel's pet squid:
The Back:
Octopus:
Sea horses:

Date:

Next, we have Cate's top. She has really become a reader in the last few months, so I wanted to commemorate that.
The front:
Cate in a tree:

Bunnies!

A little deer:
The Back:
Hedgie & Bunny:
The other tree (with bonus hedgehogs!):

Who's peeking?
Flutterby sleeves:
So that's it. I have some other projects I'm working on, so who knows when you will hear from me again?

Taking One For The Team

2011-03-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

Jack: Mom? Can we have dessert?
Me: What are you thinking of?
J: We have Popsicles! And chocolate popsicles!
M: Well, actually we just have Popsicles. There was only one fudgesicle left, and I ate it last night.
J: Mooooooommmmmm! I was wanting that one!
M: I'm sorry buddy, I didn't know you wanted it.

Jack thinks about this for a moment....

J: You just wanted us to have jokes, didn't you mom?
M: I'm...ummm.....what?
J: The reglear Popsicles have jokes on the sticks. The chocolate ones don't. You ate the chocolate one so we could all have jokes today. Right mom?
M: You know, I don't think I've heard a "thank you" yet.... ;)

Slice of Life

2011-02-09T18:40:00.000-08:00

Ever had one of those moments that perfectly captures the essence of your existence? Yeah, me too.

It is 6:30 on Wednesday evening. We have just finished dinner, the dishes are waiting patiently in the sink. The table still needs to be wiped down, the floor needs to be swept, the animals fed and watered.

But they will all have to keep on waiting. I am in the living room with the children. Cathryn is sitting in my special spot, the one with the good light, diligently working on her embroidery. Something that, had I not seen it with my own two eyes, I would never have thought possible. The patience and skill this girl has exhibited as she works this piece is staggering. Did I also tell you that she can knit? She can.

As Cate works, Ava treats us to an amazing dance routine, one that she choreographed herself. As she struts and twirls in time to the music I want to laugh out loud at the sheer enjoyment of it all. She is a thing of beauty. She is also reading this over my shoulder as I type, with the proper inflection and cadence. She is six. I'm not sure where she comes from.

The boy hangs in the back, alternately playing DJ for his sister and setting up a game of Stratego. We got the game for Christmas from the grandparents, but thought it was a bit beyond them. Yeah. We broke it open a week ago and are now routinely being handed our collective butts by our son, the future military commander.

So there we all are, Cate with her embroidery, Ava dancing, Jack preparing for world domination, Brian and I gazing at our progeny with goofy grins, crazy in love with them and each other.

Life is good.

Channeling the Tiger

2011-01-23T21:11:00.001-08:00

So, some of you might have read or heard about this new book that is causing a bit of a stir: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. In it the author, Amy Chua, posits that "Chinese mothers" (i.e. Eastern mothers) are better than "Western mothers" because their children are more successful. The idea is that the Chinese mothers push their children harder, are stricter and demand more from their children than Western mothers, who are more concerned with their children's emotional development and self-esteem. Chinese mothers are hard, Western mothers are soft.
Myself, I can see some of the logic in what Ms. Chua is saying, though I don't agree with many of her actual tactics. One thing that resonated with me was Ms. Chua's premise that Chinese mothers believe that their children are strong and smart, and this is what allows them to push them so hard - they absolutely believe that the kids can take that kind of pressure. When we coddle children, when we let them slack and do not push them to do better we are in a sense telling them "This is all we expect of you. We don't think you *can* do better." And while I don't think calling children "garbage" when their work is not perfect is a useful parenting technique, I do think that some not-so-gentle pushing is sometimes exactly what they need. Take for instance this very evening: Cathryn was working on one of those "draw me" pictures, the ones that have a drawing on a grid, along with a bigger (blank) grid on which you can copy the figure. A bit intense for a 6-year-old in my opinion, but she wanted to do it. She sat down at the table next to me, started drawing, realized her drawing wasn't like the picture and proceeded to have a meltdown, proclaiming to everyone in a 10-mile radius that she was terrible at drawing, the WORST EVER, and that she would never be any good, NEVER NEVER NEVER! Oh my. My first impulse was to grab her to me and whisper soothing words about how wonderful she was as I held her close. But then the Chinese mother in me whispered something else.
"Cathryn. Drawing well takes practice, and if you want to be good you better start now!" I made her sit back down and I told she wasn't going to leave the table until her drawing was perfect. I went and got another eraser and sat next to her as she drew the picture, grid by grid. If a square wasn't perfect I made her erase it and start over. "Again! Make it right!" My voice sounded to my own ears like some maniacal drill sargent who hadn't slept for 3 days. "Does that look like the picture? Do it again!" Over and over and over. We must have sat there for almost an hour, Cathryn crying, me yelling, the paper almost torn in several spots from all the erasing.
But you know what? She finished the damn thing. And it looked GREAT. And she was so proud! Her face was beaming as she showed it to her dad. We hung it up over the fireplace, so everyone could admire it.
And as she went to bed that night she whispered in my ear "Mommy, I'm a GOOD drawer, aren't I?" "Yes you are baby. YES YOU ARE."
Go Tigers!

Do As I Say, Not As I......oh, nevermind.

2011-01-10T20:58:00.000-08:00

Brian was unloading the dishwasher the other night when Cate came into the kitchen. Not looking where she was going she ran right smack into the dishwasher door, which was down. Giving a mighty scream she bent over to examine her injured shin. "Ouch! That smarts!" said Brian. "Sucks." mumbles Cate. "Excuse me? What did you say?" Brian asks incredulously. Cathryn turns to him and rolling her eyes says: "SUCKS dad. I think the word you are looking for is SUCKS."

That's my girl.

Innocence

2011-01-06T19:17:00.001-08:00

Jack and I are in the car, driving to pick his sisters up from school. On the stereo is the soundtrack from Rapunzel, which has been in continuous play mode since we got it from Mimi two weeks ago. As one of the love songs plays Jack asks "Is this real?" "You mean the movie?" "Yes. It's not real, is it?" "No, it's a cartoon movie about a story. It isn't real." "Yeah, because people don't steal babies in real life right mom?" Gah. How did we get here? Sometimes I really hate the world for being such an awful place, a place I can't even begin describing to my six-year-old bright-eyed boy, a place full of horrors beyond imagining. "No, people don't steal babies sweetie." "Yeah, they can just have their own if they want some!" Ugh. Again, how do I tell him about this? Will his eyes be as bright when he learns the real answers to these questions? "That's right baby, they can have their own."

My sweet little boy, I know that someday you will learn the answers to these questions, will learn that the world is full of sadness, pain and terrible things. But I hope that you keep this vision you have now, of a world full of love and caring, because we can't get there unless we can see it the way you do.

Counting Blessings

2011-01-05T12:13:00.000-08:00

So, this could have been the week from hell. Could have. But isn't. Why not? Because, in the words of the old spiritual, "I've got love like an ocean". For reals. I am surrounded by loving family members and friends who have stepped into the breach, and allowed me the time I need to rest and get better. Mimi has been taking the children overnights and Auntie is waiting in the wings to take them if Mimi can't. My lovely friend Danielle is picking up my kids from school, bringing me soup, and taking my shift in the classroom this week. So basically, all I have had to do is rest and feel grateful. Chicken soup for the soul, indeed.

Checking In

2011-01-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

Here's what's going on today: I have pneumonia. The kids have ear infections and bronchitis. Brian has a meeting in New Jersey. All of this would be a disaster, except we also have Mimi and Auntie who are taking the kiddos so that I can sleep. And we have drugs. Lots and lots of drugs. Also so that I can sleep.
And I have to say that as sick as I am and as tired as I am and as glad as I am to have this wonderful time to rest, there is a small part of me that wishes my babies were here right next to me.

You Know What I Love?

2011-01-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

That while other 6-year-olds are obsessed with Spider-Man or Bakugan or Barbies, my kids can't get enough of Richard Scarry's Busytown Mysteries. Solving mysteries with Huckle Cat and Lowly Worm - what's better than that? And that theme song? The one that is playing on continuous loop in my head? That's pretty catchy too.

2010-12-04T19:57:00.001-08:00

I was getting dressed this morning to go walking with my friend Michelle. As I was putting on my workout pants I noticed on the inside back, next to the label, the words "Take a long walk!". Great. So now even my pants have expectations of me that I'm not sure I can fulfill. But here's what I'm wondering: my pants are size XXL. On the XXS size does it say "Have another cookie!"?

Valium on the Rocks with a Prozac chaser. For Starters.

2010-11-03T21:35:00.001-07:00

Brian has been in Vancouver since Saturday morning. That means we are on Day 5 of "Adventures in Single Parenting". Five days of whining, crying, temper tantrums and meltdowns. And the kids haven't been a whole lot of fun either.
Once again I find myself amazed that my mother managed to do this for over 10 years and did not kill us, not even once. Never put a pillow over our faces, never held our heads under the bath water. Never even dropped us off on a random corner with $20.00 and a "Good luck to you!". Not that I think about things like that. Much.
So to mom, and to all the other single moms out there, fighting the good fight, day in and day out, in what has to be the most thankless job in the universe: Thank You. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
And to Brian, the love of my life and co-parent of these weanlings: If you die, I WILL KILL YOU. So you can just put down that bacon right now, 'kay?

Just Another Day in the Life

2010-11-02T01:23:00.000-07:00

My son is dancing around naked wearing a dog collar. Please tell me this is just a phase.

The Poop Chronicles: Episode 587

2010-10-19T12:17:00.001-07:00

Brian: Dude! You smell like poop! Is there poop in your pants?
Jack: No. A little.
B: You gotta stop doing this. Did you poop today?
J: No.
B: Yesterday?
J: No.
B: When was the last time you pooped?
J: None-day.
B: None-day? Does that mean you don't remember the last time you pooped? OK, then that's too long. Dude, you need to poop EVERY DAY.
J: I don't want to poop every day. Pooping every day is AWFUL!
B: Not as awful as not having friends because you smell like poop, buddy.

Hard to argue with that.

Cue the fireworks!

2010-10-09T05:07:00.000-07:00

I would like to announce to the world that my child (Cate) was given the choice between chocolate milk and "reglear" milk and ........... drum roll please ............ she chose the "reglear"!

On second thought, perhaps she is NOT my child.

Thing #456 I Never Thought I Would Have to Say

2010-09-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

"Please don't put things in your butt!"

I'll leave you to imagine the context on your own.

Navel Gazing

2010-09-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

So. How are you? I am fine. Hanging on by my fingernails, frizzled hair whipped into a frenzy by the howling winds of chaos that threaten to consume my very being and lay waste to all I have achieved, but fine.
My children are in kindergarten and loving every second of it. When I come to pick them up at the end of the day they leap enthusiastically into my arms and then as soon as they are done kissing me begin shrieking that they can not possibly leave yet! They haven't finished coloring their tree frogs! They are still playing Foosball! It's Dot-Art day!! Have I no sense of decency!?!
But I am glad. Glad they wake up every day wanting to go to school, glad that they have teachers who really like them and want them to grow and learn, glad that they do not want to leave at the end of the day.
I myself am going through an introspective season in my life. I am reading - devouring - books on streamlining and simplifying my existence, casting off the unnecessary to make room for the things that really matter, figuring out exactly what those things are. I wonder if this is what they mean by a mid-life crisis? The timing certainly seems right, although the crisis part does not ring true. Not so much crisis; more re-evaluation, retrospection, introspection, speculation. What matters to me? What do I love? Why me, here, now? WHAT? These are the questions of the day. They are harder to answer than I thought.

I am rapidly falling out of love with Blogger

2010-08-17T21:52:00.001-07:00

That last post? Took me 2 hours. I cuss you not. I haven't done a lot of blogging, so maybe this is true of all programs out there, but I must say that I am finding Blogger to be an incredibly unwieldly program. Weird html coding, no easy defaults, and loading pictures, at least out of iPhoto is a cussing nightmare.
I think I'm going to have to shop around and see if there are greener pastures out there to be had.

Just had to get that off my chest.

Hawaii, Part 1

2010-08-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, I know. We've been back for almost a month. You thought I was never going to write about our trip. I KNOW. We had an amazing two weeks in Hawaii, and I thought about writing about it while I was there, but then that crazy voice in the back of my head said "Don't write about your vacation while you are still on vacation. Then all the millions of people who read your blog (insert hysterical laughter here) will know you aren't at home and they will break into your house and rearrange your furniture and hide your salad forks and then what will you do?" So I didn't. Then when we got back I was going to write about it, but I was at my computer and all the pictures were on Brian's computer. Way over there. All the way across the room. I think I remember someone saying once that computers can talk to each other and exchange information and such, but I'm not buying it. And then there was all the unpacking, and the laundry to do, and then the repacking and the leaving on yet another glorious vacation, this time up to San Francisco and Mendocino, and if you feel like punching me in the face right about now, well, you'll just have to take a number sister. I know. I know. I KNOW. So here it is, FINALLY, the first installment on our trip to Hawaii....look for the others in a few months. We spent 2 lovely weeks in Hawaii and I must say it was one of the best trips I have had in recent memory. Five years old is the *perfect* age for kids to travel – they are pretty much voice-controlled, they respond to threats of bodily harm and revoked privileges, they have a modicum of common sense so you can turn your back on them for more than a nanosecond without the threat of immediate disaster, and they are actually a metric ton of fun.

We started our vacation with a trip out to see a lovely woman named Mary Jo, who raises miniature horses and trains them to pull carts. Mom's friend, Judi, knows Mary Jo from back in the day and thought the kids might enjoy meeting the horses. Yeah, you called that one Judi. Mary Jo was wonderful, and let the kids groom the horses and help hitch them up to the carts. Then she took them each for a ride around the neighborhood.

Then as a grand finale she turned to me and said “What’s your experience with horses?”. Well, let’s see……my first time on a horse was when I was 12 and we came to visit some friends here on the Big Island and took a horseback tour. My horse decided the tour was boring and went off for a solo gallop, neglecting to let me off first. That was great. Then, when I was in college I stayed with my cousins for a summer at their ranch in Escondido where I did a fair amount of trail riding. I was just beginning to get comfortable in the saddle when I was riding around the ring one day and the mare I was on decided she had had enough of my fat ass sitting on her and threw me off. As I lay prone next to her with the wind knocked out of me she stomped her massive hoof about a centimeter from my head just to make sure that we were clear. Good times. So, yeah, horses and me. Me and horses. “Have you ridden before?” “Yes. Yes I have.” “Great, then you can drive the big cart and I’ll take the little one”. Super. So suddenly there I was, Jack on one side and Cate on the other, driving down the road, following Mary Jo and Ava. Mary Jo had been wise/kind and given me Jubie, the oldest and best trained horse, and I have to admit that driving her was like driving on automatic pilot; I really didn’t have to do much of anything except stay out of her way and let her do her thing. We went out of the neighborhood, quickly up on to the main road (!!!) and then on to a more rural road Mary Jo called “Ginger Road” because of all the ginger growing wild there. It was spectacularly beautiful, especially when we reached the end of the paved road and drove up a rough dirt path to the top of a hill where we could see the whole valley below. Awesome.

But my favorite part of all came next: turning around and going down the hill. Mary Jo’s horse, Miracle, was acting up so she told me to go first while she calmed him down. Now the “path” was really just two semi-deep ruts cut through the thicket of grasses growing on the hill. And it was pretty steep. It didn’t seem so bad going up, but going down is another matter. As I worked with Jubie to get her in the right position to descend Jack grabbed my waist and said “Mom I’m kind of scared”. Yeah, I know buddy. You should feel my pulse right about now. But you can’t say that can you? So instead I said “It’s okay. Jubie knows what she’s doing. And I won’t let anything happen to you.” To which my son replied “I know mom. You always keep me safe.” And then I died.

Is that not the best moment ever in the history of moments? I want to remember that moment for the rest of my ever life. The next time I am being ungrateful and bitchy and dissatisfied with life will one of you please remind of that moment?

Cue Muffled Laughter from the Living Room

2010-07-24T00:18:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when Daddy is DONE. FOR. THE. NIGHT.

Brian: What are you doing out of bed?

Ava: I have to go to the bathroom! Really!

Brian: Then hurry up and go. You don't want to pee yourself when I spank you.

Iced Coffee and a Slice of Heaven

2010-07-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

That's what I'm having for lunch today. We are Spencer's beach, about 20 minutes from my mom's house in Kamuela. It's a shallow, sheltered beach - almost akin to a lagoon - with hardly any waves, soft golden sand and water that is warmer than the air. It is a post card day, warm but not hot, a lovely temperate breeze blowing in from the surf. Jack and Ava are frolicking in the waves and Cate is collecting lava rocks and some kind of seed pod from a nearby tree.
We may never leave.

Shhhhhh! Don't Tell!

2010-07-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

She wants to surprise Tutu, but her big kid tooth is coming in fast, so I'm afraid that cute little space won't be there by the time we arrive.......

I feel pretty.....

2010-07-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

..... oh so pretty!

Ava was feeling especially lovely this morning and requested that I take a picture of her so that Tutu could see. So here you go Tutu!

She's Crafty!

2010-06-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

So. Mimi took the Mighties Saturday night, with a promise to bring them home late Sunday afternoon. Delirious with the infinite possibilities that a child-free night/day offered, I racked my brains for what to do........Work? No, too obvious. Clean the house? No, too responsible, besides: have you met me? Craftiness? Ah, now you're talking my language! But which to choose? Make picture frames? Knitting? Dig up that baby blanket kit? Or maybe the towel bag thing I had been wanting to try......

In the end I settled for an evening of mindless TV-watching and knitting (thanks to an NCIS marathon and a project I need to finish by the end of July). After a very restful night's sleep, I started in on the towel bag project. Essentially it consists of attaching a smaller towel to a beach towel in such a way that when turned inside out, it forms a bag in which the towel and other sundries can be carried. I thought it would be a fun way to trick the kids into carrying their crap to the beach/pool. Am I not the best mom ever?

I found the initial instructions online here, and made a few modifications. Namely, I used 2 hand towels instead of one because I wanted the carrying straps to be longer. Also by using a folded hand towel for the pocket, as opposed to half of a hand towel the final product has the bonus of another pocket. I am really happy with how they turned out! I've included the instructions below in case anyone is interested in making one:

Materials:
1 beach towel
2 hand towels

Step 1:
Make the bag: Fold 1 hand towel in half, right-sides together, and pin to the WRONG side of one of the narrow sides of the beach towel, centering it. Sew along the right side, bottom, and left side of the hand towel, leaving the top open.

Step 2:
Make the handles: Take the other hand towel and over about 1.5-2" of the long edge (again, right sides together). Do this on the other side as well. Sew both seams, cut away excess fabric (in the middle), and turn straps right-side-out.

Step 3:
Attach handles to bag: Pin one strap to one side of the hand-towel bag about 1/5" in from the seam, being sure to pin the RIGHT side of the handle to the WRONG side of the bag. Attach the other half of the strap to the other side, again about 1/5" in from the seam. Do the same with the other handle on the other side of the hand-towel bag (DO NOT attach the handle to the beach towel!). Sew.

Step 4:
Fold the towel: Lay the towel out, RIGHT SIDE up, and fold the long way in towards the center. Starting from the bottom, fold the towel up in lengths approximately equal to the length of the hand towel bag. Once you have folded it all the way to the top, grab the bottom corners and invert the bag.

Et Voila!

Now grab some sunscreen, your shades and a trashy magazine and head for the sun!

High Jinx

2010-06-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

When the kids finished their swim lesson last night Miss Angie said they could jump off the diving board, as usual. As NOT usual she gave them the choice between the "low" board (the one they usually jump off) and the "high" board, which they never jump off of because it is about 4 times higher than the "low" board (which is pretty darn high to begin with; if they hung from it their toes wouldn't touch the water below). Clearly she had been smoking crack, because no SANE person would encourage mere babies to jump from a height of 1,000 feet to their most certain deaths, water or no. ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME MISS ANGIE? ARE YOU???? Not that I was worried, mind you. My children are sensible people who understand the limitations of their fragile bodies, not to mention the frailty of their mother's mental health.............yeah.

Jack was the first up the ladder. No hesitation, just up, out to the end and.....SPLASH! His goggles came off with the power of the impact, but it didn't even faze him. Did I mention they are the youngest kids in their class?

Ava was next. I made her promise that she wouldn't try to dive in (as she has been diving off the "low" board lately). "O-kay mooooooommmmm! O-KAY!"

And then Cate. Cate, who for most of last summer refused to go anywhere near the low board, and had to bribed with promises of sugar-coated goodness to get her to give it a try. She climbed up the ladder, walked out to the end of the board and jumped off. When her head popped out of the water she screamed "That was AWESOME!!"

I couldn't be prouder, despite the residual anxiety that kept me up until 1am this morning. Now let us all light a collective candle and pray that they don't develop a predilection for bungee jumping.

Pomp and Circumstance

2010-06-17T22:53:00.001-07:00

Yes, they actually played it.

You know what I love?

2010-06-17T22:51:00.000-07:00

Students who email me asking "I got XYZ on the exam, can I still pass your class?". Sweetie, all the points are listed in the syllabus. Do the math. And if you can't do the math? Then, NO, you can't pass my class.

Our Small World is Getting Bigger

2010-06-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

Last night the kids had their closing program at school. Mrs. Barillier's class did a number called "It's a Small World" in which each of the children dressed up as a different country and said hello to the audience in their country's language. My Hawaiian fans (I'm talking to you, mom) should note that Hawaii was included as a different country. I thought about making a scene, but then decided against it. For the sake of the children. Years from now when they claim I don't love or care about them I will bring up this very incident as proof of my love for them.
But I digress. Jack was Germany, with a cute little leiderhosen costume, complete with hat. But not complete with shoes. I thought a pair of hiking boots would look good, but alas he has outgrown the pair he has. Then it hit me - Sandals! With socks! Nothing says GERMAN like sandals with socks. Am I right? When it was his turn he marched to the center of the stage and bellowed "Guten! Morgen!" like the good little Aryan boy he is.

Ava was Ireland, and wore a white dress with green polka dots and a big green shamrock, with a green frock coat over it. The best part of the costume though was the beribboned yellow daisy headdress. Again, we weren't sure what to do about shoes, but then I remembered that last St. Patrick's day Auntie had bought them all Leprechaun socks, so we put those on her and let her go shoeless. Perfect. She skipped across the stage and sang "Magen Go Brach!", which I think was supposed to be Irish (Gaelic) for "hello", although I think "hello" is actually "dia dhuit" in Gaelic. But what do I know?

Cathryn was France, and the costume they sent home consisted of a purple knitted tam, which I'm guessing was supposed to be a beret, and a painter's smock. Yeah.....NO. I riffled through her closet and found a navy-and-white striped shirt, a ruby pleated school-girl skirt with suspenders, blue knee socks, and this time we actually had some appropriate shoes - blue leather t-straps. I splurged on a real beret ($6.50 on Amazon!) and her costume was complete. Et Voila! She pranced out to the middle of the stage, put her fingers in her mouth and whispered "Bonjour?".

Other countries represented were Italy, Mexico, Japan, America, and of course, Hawaii. But let's not start that again.

Afterward we all went out for frozen yogurt, and about half the class showed up - INSTANT PARTY! The kids all sat at a single table and chattered away while the parents took advantage of the relative quiet to eat our yogurt in peace. A lovely end to a lovely day.

One Man, One Vote

2010-06-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

We were sitting at the dinner table this evening when the phone rang. It has been ringing a lot these days, as the local and state-wide elections are tomorrow. We've stopped answering our phone, instead letting all calls go to the answering machine and only picking up when we recognize the voice on the other end.

So the phone rang, we let the machine get it, and after a pause a crackly voice comes on the line, introducing itself and hoping that it wasn't bothering us. "You are! I'm making a list of all the people who call us and I'm not going to vote for them" growled Brian. "Is that a stranger?" asked Jack. Brian explained that yes, it was a stranger and they were calling to get our vote in the election. And then we were off to the races.

"What's a vote?"
"What's an election?"
"Why do the strangers want our vote?"

"Remember in church how you talked about everyone having a vote?"

Blank stares.

"When you vote for someone it means you are choosing them. The person who gets chosen the most wins"

Blank stares.

"Voting is how we choose our leaders."

Blank stares.

"OK, let's pretend. Let's pretend one person in our family is going to go to Ice Cream Street to get ice cream for everyone."

"Is this for real?" asks Cate

"No, it's pretend. Who should go to Ice Cream Street?"

"Auntie Kate!"
"Mimi!"
"I want to go! I never get to go to Ice Cream Street!"

"Cathryn. I said this was pretend. And I meant someone who is here right now: Cate, Ava, Jack, Mommy or Daddy. Anyone who wants to go raise their hand."

They all want to go. No surprises here.

"Okay, but only ONE person can go. How do we choose? Here's how: we vote. Everyone who wants Ava to be the person to go, raise their hand (Ava and Jack raise their hands). Everyone who wants Jack to go, raise their hand (Jack raises his hand). You can only vote once, buddy"

"Unless you're from Chicago" says Daddy.

"Everyone who wants Cate to go raise their hand" (no raises their hand, not even Cate)

"You know, you can vote for yourself sweetie"

"I want to vote for you and me to go together mommy!"

"That's sweet, but that's not a choice." (Although I suppose the ones who really change the world are the ones who see the options that haven't been offered)

"OK, so Ava has 2 votes so she wins. Ava gets to go to Ice Cream Street. See how that works?"

"I never get to go to Ice Cream Street! You never let me do anything! I hate voting!"

"I vote that Cate should get a time out" says Ava.

I guess 1 out of 3 isn't bad.

Hasenpfeffer

2010-06-04T22:31:00.000-07:00

Found this little tableaux in the living room this evening..........can you see the bunny? Here's hoping the lions won't either.........

Da-Da-DAAAAAA!!!!!

2010-06-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

My good news for the day, week, month, year: I officially have tenure! Woo-hoo!
Time to break out the paint and gussy-up my office. They'll never get rid of me now. Or, as my more seasoned colleagues like to say "Now you can never leave."

My Girl

2010-06-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this picture I took of Ava:She's wearing a top I made for her from a vintage pillowcase. I took the picture with the Hipstamatic iPhone app, using the John S lens and Ina's 1969 film. I love the vintage look of this picture and I think it captures the spirit of my carefree girl perfectly. She reminds me so much of my mom.

DOH!

2010-05-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

Three days in and I've already failed. Crap.

Does it count for anything that the reason I didn't post yesterday was because I was having such a great day that I got caught up in the fun and forgot about everything else?

Had a lovely lunch with friend Sue (Indian food! Yay!), a little bit of impromptu shopping, followed by a complete disregard for work and other grown-up responsibilities, some leisurely needle-work and then dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant with Brian and Mimi. Mmmmmmmmmm.

Erin-the-marvelous came to baby sit the Mighties, much to their delight. When I picked them up from school the first question Cate asked was "Is Erin in the car?" No, sweetie. I don't keep her in the glove box. Sorry. Jack asked if they were going to have a sleep-over with Erin, and when I told him that NO, Daddy and I were just going out to dinner and we would be home later that night, Ava suggested that perhaps we should go out for dinner more often. Like every night.

We had dinner at this awesome place called Tana in Anaheim. I guess it has been there for a while, but we had no idea even though we had been searching for an Ethiopian restaurant closer than LA. We went with a group from our church: the "Foreign Foods Friday" bunch. Normally I'm not a big participator in extra-curricular church activities, but the lure of Ethiopian food was too strong........however the group turned out to be full of charming, interesting people and it was really nice to get to know them a bit better. It turns out that they don't meet during the summer, so we will have to wait until Fall to get together again, but I must confess I am looking forward to it.

Look at me getting all churchy on you! If I write about joining a bible study group y'all know what to do.......

Plan for the Day

2010-05-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today I am playing hooky from grown-up obligations. Instead, this is what I am going to do:

1. Sleep late (check!)
2. Eat waffles for breakfast (check!)
3. Enjoy a leisurely morning noodling around on the internet (check!)
4. Meet Lauren and Vi for lunch and shopping
5. Get a pedicure
6. Pick up kids
7. Have dinner -I'm thinking this would be a good evening for take out
8. Play Candyland and eat popcorn
9. Watch the Daily Show with my husband and do a little recreational needlework. (That kind of reads like I'm planning to shoot some heroin. Actually I'm just embroidering a dress for a friend's kid.)

I know. You wish you were me. And, for once, I really can't blame you.

Land of the Lost

2010-05-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last posted, a fact that has been niggling away at me. In an effort to turn over a new and more productive leaf I am going to commit to posting something every day for the month of June and we'll just see where this leads us. As I want to post every day I will warn all those who are still reading my blog (are there any such people? I mean, besides my mom?) that the topics of discussion will stray away from THE CHILDREN from time to time. Which might actually make it a little more interesting, who knows?

So here is the topic for today: Should I dye my hair?

I know, it's really more of a question than a "topic", but feel free to chime in and leave your opinions. Here are my thoughts and counterthoughts:

1. I want to be BLONDE! Or, maybe not truly BLONDE!, but at least lighter than I am now. I'm thinking this will help to disguise the ever growing number of grey hairs and thus make me look more young and vibrant. Like something out of an Anthropologie catalogue.
REBUTTAL: I'm not sure a lighter color will really help with the inevitable greying of my pate. And besides, even if my hair was lighter I would still not look like the young, vibrant image I have in my head. She weighs about 100 lbs less and has better cheek bones.

2. It's just hair. It will grow back. Why not have fun?
REBUTTAL: Yes, it will grow back but I always underestimate just how long and *painful* that process is. We're talking years.

3. Don't be so serious. Be wild. Be daring.
REBUTTAL: Wild and daring are both good (not that serious is bad, mind you). But is coloring my hair really a good measure of this? Or is it just vanity? Is this a behavior I want my children, especially my girls, to see me practice? Doesn't it just reek of dissatisfaction with myself? Not exactly a positive attitude. Perhaps the more daring and wild thing would be to flaunt society's notion of what constitutes a "beautiful" woman and go with what I've got. Perhaps I have better things to do with my time and energy?

As I said, feel free to share your opinions. Although, I might have just talked myself out of it. Sigh.

This Just Out!

2010-03-27T22:11:00.001-07:00

We don't know where the tooth is, but we sure know where it's NOT!

Soccer Mom

2010-03-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

Now it's official.

Letter to Violet

2010-03-09T21:26:00.000-08:00

Dearest Violet,
Welcome to the world, littlest. I am your Auntie Jenn and I will forever love and adore you. It is my solemn promise that as long as I am around you will always have cute hair accessories and red shoes. Because a girl needs those things, no matter what she does in life. And your life? Is going to be awesome. How do I know? Because I was there at the beginning, and I can tell about these things.
You were born on a perfect day, not too sunny, not too cloudy. A lovely warm breezy day, the kind that makes people want to move to California. The room you were born in had a view of Newport Harbor and the ocean beyond, and we watched the sailboats go by in between contractions. I wondered what adventures the people on those boats were having, what adventures you would have in your life.......
Your birth was one of the most memorable, magical, peaceful experiences I have ever had. Your mother and father were generous enough to let me be in the room with them for this moment of moments, and for that I will be forever grateful. I love your parents like they were my own family; in a way they are. They are the family I chose, and thus are more dear to me in some ways than my birth family. You are a part of that family now too, and I will always be yours to lean on and turn to when you need an ear or a hug or the face of someone who loves you no matter what. I am so glad your mother and father are who they are and that they are your parents. They are good people, as I am sure you will come to know. You also have a very sweet and gentle older brother who is probably going to be one of your very best friends. Be nice to him; he will be your biggest ally.
But back to the day you were born. Your mother was so calm and happy, it was hard to believe she was in labor. Birthing a child is a huge undertaking, something akin to running a marathon. It taxes a woman mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well as physically. For most women it is the most intense physical experience they will ever have. I can't imagine a more emotional experience either. All to say that giving birth is a momentous event, one that can easily become overwhelming.
Your mother was awe-inspiring. I have never seen her so strong and purposeful, so intensely beautiful in her concentration and determination. As your father held her hand and encouraged her she gave herself over to the process of labor and brought you into this world. What a moment! Suddenly there you were, pinking up right before our eyes, letting out that first delicious cry. We gobbled up every detail: your perfect fingernails, your long toes (monkey toes!), your surprisingly blond hair, your rosy mouth and delicate nose. You were perfect. You are perfect. You are you and from the moment your were born you have been loved. Always remember that. You are loved. The love you receive from us will not be perfect, as none of us are perfect. But we will love you the best way we know how. And we will love you forever.
I will love you forever.
Always,
Auntie Jenn

Really? Must We?

2010-03-03T18:26:00.000-08:00

Cathryn, though very much a princess in other ways, refuses to eat with utensils, especially forks. And while I do sympathize with her on occasion (who eats pizza with a knife and fork for God's sake?) most of the time I find myself playing the part of the evil witch:

"Cathryn! We do not eat peas with our hands. Use your fork!"
"But mo-ooommm!"

"Cathryn! Noodles are eaten with forks, NOT fingers!"
"Fine! Yessssssss moooooooommmmmmmm!"

"Cathryn! *That* is exactly why we use a fork to eat macaroni and cheese. So that it DOESN'T get all over our hands, and then in our hair."
"Oh mom!"

And so it goes, meal after meal, night after night. Until tonight. She finally came upon a food that she could not help but eat with her fork........

.........ready?..........

........wait for it...........

ALMONDS. Of course. How did we not see that coming?

(Quick show of hands: How many of you were thinking 'soup'?)

Cast of Charachters

2010-02-28T16:11:00.000-08:00

The children are planning a 10-day (!!!) sleep-over, to which they are each inviting 3 friends. Cathryn's friends are Anna, Sadie and Lily. So far so good. Ava's friends are Ma-NA-na, Halatha, and Kreelie. OK; maybe hippie parents? Jack's friends are Knotty (Naughty?), Grotty and Ween.

This is going to be an interesting party.

Our Daughters, Our Selves

2010-02-16T21:18:00.000-08:00

I was folding laundry in the bedroom when the dull roar from the living room erupted in crescendo. I walked in to see Ava, papers strewn around her, calmly coloring a picture. Cate towered above her, screaming:

Cate: "Play with me! PLAY WITH ME!!!! PLAY!! WITH!! ME!!!!!!!!"

Ava: "I can't."

Cate: "WHYYYYYYY??????? WHY CAN'T YOU PLAY WITH MEEEEEEE??????"

Ava: "I can't tell you."

Cate: "AAAAAAAIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! MOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!"

My God, I almost peed myself laughing. In so many ways, I identify with Cate in this situation - wanting to control the Universe by sheer force of will, and not understanding why it will not bow to her oh-so-reasonable demands. But, when I related this story to my long-time friend Michelle, describing the way Ava was just !@#$ing with Cate - just calmly sitting there and twisting the knife, pushing the buttons, slowly driving her insane, toying with her just because she COULD - Michelle said "Yeah, that sounds like you".

So there you go. My two girls. My yin and my yang. And let the record show that......yeah, I'm sorry about that one, world. My bad.

The Bogeymom

2010-02-16T21:11:00.001-08:00

It is 9:15pm and I am sitting at my computer trying to get a little work done before I go to bed.

squeak padpadpadpadpadpadpadpadpadpad

"Mom?"

"Yes Jack?"

"The sisters are not being quiet! And I can't sleep!"

"You should not be out of bed. Go back to your room. I will come in a bit and talk to the girls."

padpadpadpadpadpadpadpadpadpadpad squeak

"Sisters! Mom is going to come in here in a little bit! And she is going to talk to you in a very bad voice! And then you will be in *very* trouble!"

Apparently he has this all worked out.

Apples and Parallelograms

2010-01-18T20:59:00.001-08:00

A typical discussion:

Me: Cathryn, what would you like on your baloney sandwich: mustard or ketchup?
Cate: Macaroni and cheese!
M: Would you like milk or water?
C: Juice!
M: Applesauce or raisins?
C: .........pudding?

I am assuming this will end at some point, right? Then again, perhaps I should adopt this strategy in my own life......

"Mrs. Carlson would you like to pay the fine or go to traffic school?"
"Disneyland!"

The Food Chain, pt. II

2010-01-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

I thought I had posted this story, but now I can't find it......so here it goes again:

Back in September we were at Huntington Beach on Friday night and saw Catalina on the horizon. My friend Danielle was over there doing some research, so we asked the kids if we should swim over to the island to visit her....

Jack (after much thought): No, because the alligators will eat us.
Me: Actually buddy there aren't any alligators in the ocean, so that wouldn't be a problem.
Ava (piping up): No Jack, we'll get eated by SHARKS.
Me: That's right baby, the sharks will get us. Good call.

The Food Chain

2010-01-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

We are at the San Diego zoo, in front of the jaguar cage watching a truly magnificent black jaguar pace before us....every so often he slows down as he passes, eying us.....

Jack: I like him. I want to pet him.
Me: He IS beautiful, isn't he? But that's probably not a good idea buddy....you look like a snack to him.
J: What does he eat? Does he eat meat?
M: Yep. He eats meat.
J: And we are made of meat, right mom?
M: Right buddy; we are made of meat.
J: Ummm......mom? I don't think I like him anymore.

She of the Winged Foot

2010-01-09T18:26:00.000-08:00

Cathryn: Why don't I ever get to be the hider?
Me: Well, you have to be the first one the find the hider and then you can be the next hider.
C: But I caaaaannnnnn'tttttt!
M: That's the spirit!
C: I don't have the fast feet!!!!

Children of the Corn

2010-01-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

Found this on the kitchen table this morning. So, looks like we won't be sleeping soundly for a while......

A Saturday Morning in the Mountains

2010-01-02T09:19:00.000-08:00

We are up at Big Bear; the big boys, this time including Malcolm, are off snowboarding. I am at the cabin with Jack, Cate, Ava and Xander. After jumping off the couch for an hour Ava decided to put on a play. Cate decided to play super heroes. So what we ended up with was a series of performances interrupted by cries of "Super heroes! Quick! Someone is in trouble!"
"Who?"
"Super heroes never tell."

Those super heroes. So very mysterious.

Atlantis Play Park

2009-11-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

There is a park in Garden Grove that I remember going to as a child....it has a big stone dragon slide and a pirate ship. I couldn't remember where it was so I asked my oldest friend, Wendy, whom I have known since kindergarden and whom I gone with to said park. She remembered it too, but also could not recall the name. So she emailed her mom, Judy, who is currently living in Thailand and *viola!* she remembered the name: Atlantis Play Park.
The dragon slide is still there, though a bit smaller than I remember......but the kids are having a blast as I write this and I am enjoying wathing them have the same experience I had so many years ago.

Mobile Blogging from here.

The Artiste

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

Our neighbors had a birthday party at the park and somehow I was assigned the job of face painting.......it actually turned out to be a lot of fun, and I see a great deal of face painting in our future! A sample of the results:

A Whole New World

2009-11-11T11:17:00.000-08:00

So. Ava can read. She read 43 pages of "Green Eggs and Ham" all by herself last night. If she doesn't recognize a word she can sound it out. If she can't sound it out she can spell it out for me or Brian. Clearly she is a genius.
I can't express how excited I am for her. She has the key to 1,000 lands, endless skills, all knowledge. The begininng of a great journey.
Bon Voyage!

Movie?

2009-09-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

Trying something new.....let's see if this works. This is a movie from way back in November of 2006; the kids were just over 2 years old. Cate cracks me up in this....

Off to School We Go!

2009-09-09T10:19:00.001-07:00

The kids started pre-Kindergarten on September 3rd. Such a big day!! They are going to St. Stephen's Lutheran School, at the Lutheran church by our house. Not that we are Lutheran, but it's close and our God-daughter (who is also not Lutheran) went there and loved it. They only teach pre-K and K, and have been doing it for decades. Their teacher is Mrs. Barillier (Baa-rill-EE-A) and she looks like she could be June Cleaver's slightly more stylish best friend. The kids love their new school, love their new friends, and are having a blast. I, on the other hand, am having tremendous anxiety over packing their lunches every day - my God, the pressure! WHO KNEW? I want them to eat healthy food, but I also don't want them to be those kids, you know the ones, the ones who come to school with carob clusters and all-natural sweetened-only-with-fruit-juice oat brannie O's and try to trade with the other kids for normal foods like cookies and, yeah, that's never going to happen. But I also don't want to fill their lunch boxes with Oreos, potato chips and Ding-Dongs. Where is my happy medium? WHERE?

Okay, enough angst. Pictures!

And So It Begins......

2009-08-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

Today we spent a few hours in the pool at Jessie and Nigel's place. It was a perfect day for the pool; a hot-ish 85o with a slight breeze. The water was cool and lovely and the kids splashed and played, racing each other from one end of the pool to the other. Then Ava decided she wanted to visit the "hot pool", so we moved the party over there. Even though the day was hot and the water was even hotter I could have stayed in there all day. I do love me a good hot tub.

Jack was inching in, dramatically wincing at the heat. He stuck his feet in, then went to his knees, then mid thigh, then the water hit his crotch and he straightened back up quickly. I asked him if he was okay, to which he replied "My penis doesn't like the hot". "Oh?" "Yes. My penis doesn't know if it wants to come in. It's deciding".

Apparently his penis has a brain. I related the story to Jessie, who said "Well, at least he acknowledges it. Admitting it is the first step". So true.

Sea Crags #3

2009-08-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

Woodland children.

Ava on the swing.

At the river.

Mimi and the Guncles.

Another wonderful trip! We are looking forward to heading up again at Thanksgiving! The old house is coming along, and with a few more improvements we should be able to stay in it. That will be a great day.

Sea Crags #2

2009-08-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

Lame! Blogger is only letting me post 4 pics at a time! So, I guess I'll have a few more entries:

Wood Nymphs

Denali and John at the beach.

Getting down at the Dancing Table

Preparing for battle.

Sea Crags #1

2009-08-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

So, instead of telling stories about our trip to Sea Crags I figured I would post a mess a pictures instead. We went up for a whole week, and had a wonderful, relaxing time. Although we had planned to work on the old house, it turned out that most of the guys counldn't make it this time, and all the ladies had children in tow, which makes it hard to get things done. So instead we spent the time relazxing, playing at the beach and the river, picking blackberries, making jam and cooking for the masses. At the high point we had 27 people, 19 of whom were kids from the ages of 1-15. Whew!

This year there were a ton of seal lions hanging out on the big rock just off the beach.

Ava and Henry at the river.

Finding tadpoles at the river. That's Sofia in the black hat, leading the expedition.

Jack on the rope swing.

San Jose Children's Museum

2009-08-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

This time on our way up to Sea Crags we stopped over in San Jose instead of San Francisco. We did this because we have been wanting to visit their Children's Museum, which was recommended very highly to us by our good friend Shannon, who grew up in San Jose. Well, I must say that all her raving did not do this place justice! It is one of the the *best* kid's museum I have ever been to, with so many cool hands-on activities that we could have easily spent the entire week-end there. John and Stephen came on the trip with us, so they had a chance to explore the museum as well, and I think if you asked them they would tell you that it sucked. But that is only because they are 15 and -beyond cool- and would never admit to having a total blast.

Slow boat to China. Kidding, it's actually Vietnamese.

The arch that Cate built. Really. How cool is that?

Hanging out with Curious George. It was actually a pretty cool exhibit and I learned a lot about H.A. Rey.

Making "rainbow" pizza with Uncle Steve.

Who Knew?

2009-08-06T21:46:00.000-07:00

Brian decided that the kids were ready for "chapter books", so the other night he picked out one of his childhood favorites, "The Boxcar Children" to read to them at bedtime. When he came out of their room I asked him how it went and he said "Well, they seemed to enjoy it, but I had to do some quick doctoring of the story as I was reading it". ??? See, it turns out that the Boxcar Children? The children who live in a boxcar? THEY'RE ORPHANS. BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS DIED.

After we finish up the Boxcar Children series, we are going to read them Titus Andronicus and then perhaps The Silence of the Lambs.

Goodbye Mother Goose, Act 4

2009-06-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

Then a new bed for Cate, with a cool canopy and a play area underneath. Cate's bedding is the Fabler Prickar line, the storage is the Trofast line, and the bed is Kura.

God I love IKEA. We got all the bedding and storage units there. We looked there for bunkbeds, but the ones we liked didn't seem super sturdy; I am happy with the one we found at a local furniture store. But everything else is IKEA and seems to be durable enough for 3 four-and-half year olds, which says a lot.

New light, old shelf (a custom job by Grandpa), and a few more odds and ends. The clutter on the shelf, particularly all the electrical cords, is driving me batty. If anyone has a good idea about how to hide/camoflage them, feel free to share.

This is were we put the next days clothes......

........jammies and buddies live here......

Still to do: recover/replace the rocking chair, put the window curtains back up (or possibly replace them), new curtains for the play area under Cate's bed (I'm thinking an open, "puppet theater" type window would be cool), some kind of "tent door" on Cate's canopy so she can have privacy and put up high shelves on the walls above Cate's bed for "off limits" stuff. And maybe paint the floor. We'll see. I promise more pictures when it is all finished!

Goodbye Mother Goose, Act 3

2009-06-26T12:36:00.001-07:00

Then I gave Ava a hanging clothing holder, trimmed it to fit and attached it to the mattress slats for the top bunk, to hold her treasures. Some new bedding (IKEA Fabler Kalas).....

.....a light and her name.......

...and the piece de resistance: a curtain! I mounted it to the underside of the top bunk using an aluminum ceiling track. I have to admit I really like how the "windows" turned out! They are covered by flaps of fabric that can be pinned back (I used buttons and rubber bands, see pics below) or left down, depending on ones mood. They love to play house with them.

Then a curtain for Jack. We used a flexible PVC ceiling track for this one, and the curtain glides without a hitch; I like it so much I am going to replace Ava's. It was surprisingly easy to install; only a few tense moments where Brian and I were tempted to throw tools at each other.

Goodbye Mother Goose, Act 2

2009-06-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

So we slowly began revamping the room. It's about 75% complete at this point; but I figured I should get some pictures up as my mom has threatened to kill me if I don't. It started when we finally decided to ditch the cribs/daybeds and buy a twin/twin bunk bed. The "rules" say you shouldn't do this until the children are 6, but as they are already swinging from the monkey bars and shimmying down the swings we figured they would be okay. So we had the bunk bed and then a mattress on the floor (I'll leave it to you to imagine how much I loved that arrangement. I think mattresses on the floor just scream SOPHISTICATION, don't you?).

Anyhoo, we played musical beds for a while, but then it became too much of a nightly ordeal, so I assigned beds. Jack is in the top bunk, Ava in the bottom bunk, Cate is in the single twin and the trundle (also known as "the drawer") is reserved for the occasional guest. Much weeping and wailing ensued. What to do?

I had an idea to make each bed into a special niche for each child; a place where they could hole up and have a moment of privacy, a place to keep their treasures, a place that was really THEIRS and theirs alone......I began with a window box affixed to the foot of the top bunk, a place for Jack to store his treasures.....

Some new bedding (IKEA Fabler Resa) and I recycled the alphabet cards we had up to spell out his name.

Goodbye Mother Goose, Act 1

2009-06-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

Shortly after the babies were born my mother painted a wonderful mural of Mother Goose on one of the walls of the nursery, and additional smaller murals on the other walls. We added simple white slatted cribs (which later converted to daybeds), touches of black and ivory, especially gingham, as well as a smattering of vintage accessories (lights, mobiles) and a comfy rocker, elegantly draped (like that?) with a vintage cream candlewicking bedspread. It really was a magnificent room, just what I had envisioned when I pictured my dream nursery for my miracle babies. But babies grow up and before you know it they are toddlers, and then you turn around and they are preschoolers and the whole Nursery Rhyme theme is just....so.....BABY. And we are not babies any more. We are BIG KIDS. Sigh.

Polka Dot Mountain - The Lyrics

2009-06-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

Polka Dot Mountain
Up to a flag
There goes a hot dog!
It climbs up the flag to get
Sooooommmmmeeee mustard!
Here comes a man
Who doesn't have anything.
Taaaaa-daaaaaaa!
(Now you clap)

Coming soon to a radio station near you!

Top 40

2009-05-31T21:45:00.000-07:00

A short, but by no means complete, list of Elephant's favorite songs that Cathryn has promised to teach me tomorrow "if she has time".

"Polka Dot Mountain"
"Beavers Can Talk"
"Blue Glasses Lady Gets a Purse"
"Brown Donkey Rides a Bike"
"Purse Woman Buys a Camel"

I'll let you know how it goes.

The Show of Shows

2009-05-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

Cate: Let's play "Mary had a Baby"

Me: OK. Who's Mary?

C: (rolling eyes) Mary from the Jesus story, mom. Remember?

M: Ahhhh. Gotcha. Are you Mary?

C: Yes. And teddy bear is my baby.

M: So teddy bear is Jesus?

C: Yes. But she is a girl and her first name is Flowery.

M: Flowery Jesus?

C: But her middle name is Sprocket. And her second middle name is Twinkle.

M: Flowery Sprocket Twinkle Jesus?

C: Yes.

M: And you are Mary?

C: Yes.

M: And who am I?

C: You are the person watching the show.

Yes. Yes I am.

Strong Medicine

2009-04-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

I have a cough. A deep, raspy, wet cough that has settled down into my lungs and has no intention of leaving any time soon, thank you very much. As a consequence of hacking up my toes several times a day my throat is just a wee bit sore. Which is neither here nor there, except that it precludes me from singing lullabies to my children before they go to sleep. Yes, we still do this every night. Sometimes I dread it, but mostly it is a time of the day that I cherish.

I was rocking with Jack the other night and explained to him that I couldn't sing him a song because my voice was hurting. He took his blue blanket and wrapped it around my throat saying "Here mama. You take this and put it on your voice and it will feel better. Blue blankie makes everything feel better."

And you know? It kind of did.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-04-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

Today is my mother's birthday, so I thought I would dedicate a post to her to let her know what a wonderful mother she was and continues to be and how much I love her.

My mother is independent. She does not like being told what to do. She passed that love of autonomy to her children, even though it probably made raising us a lot harder. She let us make our own decisions, even when they were bad, and even though it meant that she had to sit back and watch us take the consequences; I never appreciated just how hard that is until I had children of my own. It is torture to watch them suffer; but if they don't get to make their own mistakes they never really learn.

My mother is brave. She takes risks. She taught me that sometimes you have to have faith in the Universe, hold your breath, and jump! Chances are things will work out; if not as well as you hoped, then at least not as badly as you feared. And you will probably gain a new perspective along the way, which is always a good thing.

My mother is kind. She believes in being nice and treating other people well. She assumes that everyone is intelligent, decent and has good motives, which means that she is constantly shocked when they turn out to be assholes, or selfish, or incredibly stupid. But on balance, I think it is better to think everyone is great and be surprised when someone isn't, rather than assume everyone is a jerk and be surprised when someone is nice. Maybe that makes you gullible or naive, but it also makes life a lot more pleasant. Also, niceness breeds niceness, a lesson from which the entire world could benefit.

My mother loves her children. Sometimes she didn't like us, but we always knew that she loved us. She told us over, and over, and over again. She showed us in the way she cared about and for us, our happiness, our place in the world. Of course she made mistakes, of course she was imperfect. Aren't we all? But knowing that she loved us so very very much - that is an important thing to a child. Knowing that someone loves you so completely and truly tells you that you are worth it. That you are worth knowing and loving and that you have a right to be here. That is a powerful thing.

So happy birthday, mom! Despite all these wonderful things you have given me I still can't manage to get a card to you on time, but I suspect you will forgive me. Besides, it's coming in a box with some other cool stuff.

A Little Slice of Heaven

2009-04-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

Brian has won my heart all over again. "How?" you ask. Let me tell you: he found a new mulch for the yard. Yes, you heard me. A new mulch. "What is so great about that?" you say. Again, let me tell you: it is made from cocoa shells.

He spread it over the back yard this afternoon and then watered it down according to the package directions. People, my yard smells like chocolate. I kid you not. I am literally having to actively suppress the urge to eat my lawn.

Brian wants me to point out that it is an improvement over the old redwood mulch because the cocoa shells do not produce splinters (which were always getting into the kids' feet). Whatever. MY YARD SMELLS LIKE A GIANT HERSHEY BAR.

Que sera, sera.

2009-04-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

So Ava was playing a game on the LeapFrog Clickstart computer thingy; one where you use the mouse to click on a bunch of bouncing balls, causing them to *splat!*. She's clicking away, and then suddenly all the splats slide off the wall and the game is over. For a second it is not clear what has just happened, and then we hear the overly cheery voice of the program saying "Congratulations! You beat the level!" and then there is applause, etc. etc. Great. So then she starts playing another similar game, involving splattering balls, but just as she begins Jack calls her from outside to come look at something. Apparently it is something important because he keeps yelling, louder and louder, until she jumps up to go look at whatever it is. (A ladybug? Something drowned in the swimming pool? A chewed up toy?). Cate and I are hanging on the couch playing the "Can I Have Another Gogurt?"-"No." game (great fun) and I'm listening to the computer program valiantly encouraging no one to "Click on all the PINK balls!" "Click on all the RED balls!". I'm wondering just how long it will keep this up before it realizes it has been abandonded when Ava (the abandoner) returns. She plops down in front of the key board and starts clicking on the balls. She only gets a few to splat when all of the sudden the balls and splats disappear again. We wait, but this time there is no cheery voice forthcoming, at which point Ava turns to me and says "Mom, I think this time the level beat me."

Sometimes you're the fly, sometimes you're the windshield. Might as well learn now.

Easter in Five Acts

2009-04-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

Act One: Easter egg hunt at school (Friday)

Cate finds the GOLDEN EGG. Jack is very, very, VERY disappointed. There is much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Act Two: Easter egg hunt at Kris and Nathalie's (Saturday)

No golden egg, just lots and lots of eggs chock full o' candy and treats. Despite the ridiculous number of children present, all baskets are literally overflowing. Much sugar-induced merriment. Hats off to Nathalie and Kris, and here's hoping Gabe and Jayden have recovered from the sugar high.

Act Three: Easter egg hunt at church (Sunday morning)

After much diligent looking (and maybe a teensy hint from a parental unit) Jack finds the GOLDEN EGG. This turns out to be a life-changing event, as our formerly shy son begins approaching every single person on the lawn to share tales of his good fortune. Again, such an over abundance of treat-filled eggs that the challenge is not so much *finding* the eggs as it is *not stepping on them* and even the non-golden-egg-finding siblings are content.

Act Four: Easter egg hunt at Amelie's house (Sunday noon)

Danielle has thoughtfully put out a quantity of eggs that is divisible by four (and no GOLDEN EGG). I add my egg-offering and completely change that dynamic (pats self on back). Regardless all the kids have a blast actually having to hunt for the eggs. Children consume chocolate in various forms while the adults enjoy a magnificent lunch.

Act Five: Easter egg hunt at Chris and Dawn's house (Sunday afternoon)

Because we still have not had our fill of easter egg hunting, we conclude with a final hunt with cousins Malcolm and Xander. The dads hide the eggs while the moms occupy the kidlets with decorating real hard-boiled eggs and dyeing their hands in a veritable rainbow of hues. Once the hunt begins we see that the dads have done a good job of making this a challenging event, and it takes the kids a while to find all the eggs. Towards the end Cate finds - you guessed, THE GOLDEN EGG! She turns with glee and who is standing right in front of her? Ava. Of course. I am standing on the patio with Dawn, watching this all unfold......Cate turns to Ava, victoriously holding up the golden egg and yells "Look! I found the Golden Egg! Again!!" and Ava responds "Yay!!! That's GREAT Cathryn! Look mom! Cate found the golden egg!!".

OK, can I just tell you how differently this scene would have gone down if the positions had been reversed? I love all my children, and I think they all have the makings of excellent people, but that Ava.......I hope she never loses that ability to be truly, genuinely happy for other people, 'cause that right there is a gift.

2009-03-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went down to RSM to celebrate Owen's 2nd birthday. Holy crow is that kid adorable! Lauren and Keith arranged a picnic in the nearby park, and we had a wonderful time just sitting around and catching up and watching the kids play. Someone brought a bag of giant Cheeto puffs, which the kids dubbed "Cheeto marshmallows". In the picture above you can see one in Cate's mouth, her hands being occupied with holding her Cookie Monster cupcake and glass of punch. That night as I put the kids to bed we talked about all the great things we did that day. When asked what her favorite thing of the day was Cate said "Cheeto marshmallows! Mom, I could NOT stop eating them! I had, like, *five*!"

Like Father Like Son

2009-03-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

The other day I took the girls with me to run some errands while Brian took Jack for some one-on-one time. They headed to Portillo's, a restaurant that make Italian Beef sandwiches; the chain orginated in Chicago and is an old favorite of Brian's. They now have a single location outside of Chicago in - you guessed it - Buena Park. Sweet! Apparently Jack is now a fan as well.

Klassy

2009-03-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

We went to the park the other night with a friend and as we were leaving Brian thought to snap a picture of the group. The only way we could get them to hold still was to have them yell funny things like "Boogers!" and "Stinky pants!". This is my favorite shot of the motley crew - I especially love Cate's crotch grab - that's my girl....

Spring

2009-03-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

As we walked to the park this evening we stopped to smell all the new flowers along the way. When we rounded the corner to the park the aroma of orange blossoms was overpowered by the scent of KFC. "Mommy!" said Cate "the sky tastes like chicken!"

Sick

2009-03-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

I am not feeling well today; I have some kind of ear/nose/sinus congestion that is affecting my vestibular system and when I turn my head the room starts spinning. Fortunately Cate and Ava were generous enough to over look my handicap and include me in their game ("club").

How much do I love my iPhone?

2009-03-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

A lot. More than I ever thought I would. See, I've never been a "techie" or a gadget-girl (unless you count my label maker) but I thought the iPhone looked pretty cool - I liked the way you could flick the screen with you finger and move images - so when my phone (a pink Razor that I felt was pretty hip) finally bit the dust and started randomly calling people from the bottom of my purse I thought "what the hell?" and got an iPhone.
Holy crap! This machine has changed my life. And now there is an app that let's me blog from my phone. As if I didn't need this thing surgically removed from my hand as it is.....

So the moral of this story is: iPhones rock. If you are thinking of getting one DO. IT.

Seriously, what is wrong with me?

2009-03-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

Why do I start overly ambitious projects that have deadlines? Why? Because my life isn't crazy enough?

Apparently it is not.

Yet.

Did I mention I want more kids? Please, someone just hit me on the head.

More Brotherly Love

2009-03-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

Via text message:

Chris: Hey Sis, How was the first week of the end of your life?? LOL. C

Me: Good. How's your hair? Still falling out? J

Brotherly Love

2009-03-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

So last week-end I celebrated my 40th birthday. On Friday my friends Kate and Lauren took me to dinner at The Winery in The District (Irvine), where they used their impressive powers of cunning and guile to trick me into consuming my weight's worth in excellent wine. The night was fabulous, but the following morning was treacherous. My brother and his wife came up on Saturday for some additional celebrating, and had just arrived as I emerged, still drunk, from my bedroom at a quarter past 1pm. Chris gave my haggard form the once-over and said "So that's what 40 looks like? Rugged."

Snapshot

2009-02-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

"Cathryn! Why is it that right before someone starts crying they say your name?"

Blessing

2009-02-06T21:39:00.001-08:00

On the first Sunday of every month our priest calls everyone who has a birthday or anniversary to come up to the altar for a blessing. Usually I skip this, preferring to celebrate these personal holidays, well, personally, but this year Brian turned to me with a smirk and said "Well?". "Fine" I said, and began the trek up to the altar (we always sit in the very back, in case we need to make a quick getaway). The kids decided that something was up and that they had to come with me. While we walked I explained that it was Mommy's birthday and Father Marc was going to say a blessing for me. As we were nearing the front of the church Cate said, in her "church voice" (which is only slightly softer than her "tantrum voice") "Mom? Are you SURE you're turning 51?!?"

Keeweed

2009-02-02T15:19:00.000-08:00

I found these little toys in one of those crunchy-granola-we-only-dress-our-baby-in-cruelty-free-fair-trade-organic-cotton catalogues, fell in love with them and bought them even though my kids were clearly too old for such adorable nonsense. They each got one for Christmas; I gave Jack the little carrot, Cate got the tomato and I gave Ava the pea pod because green is still her favorite color. I have no idea where the carrot and tomato have gone, but Ava really took to the peapod baby and carries it everywhere. She calls it her "Keeweed" which sounds like a combination of "kiwi" and "seaweed" and......yeah. I have no idea where that came from, but I can totally picture a new line of collectible kids' toys: Do you have the latest KeeweedTM? Get yours today!!

Bunk Beds!!!!

2009-02-02T15:12:00.000-08:00

We did it. We got bunk beds. What can we say? They were on sale. And they have a trundle, or as Ava likes to call it "a drawer" (as in: "Mommy lets me sleep in a drawer!").

It's weird to see my babies in big kid beds, especially big kid beds 5 feet off the floor. At first they were a little scared about being up so high, but within 24 hours they were fighting over who would sleep on the top bunk. At the moment Jack is sleeping up top, Ava is sleeping in "the drawer", and Cate is sleeping on the lone twin bed next to the bunk bed. No one is sleeping in the lower bunk, unless you count the 3,452,667 stuffed animals. And their blankets.

So far no one has fallen out of the top bunk and they are still pretty careful on the ladder. Time will tell if this was a stroke of genius or a really bad idea. Because with 3 4-year-olds there is no middle ground.

Can't. Get. Away. From. Facebook.

2009-02-02T15:10:00.001-08:00

There's a silly thing going around Facebook right now where you write down a list of 25 "random" things about yourself and then send it to all of your nearest and dearest. For those of my N&D who are not on Facebook (is there anyone out there? Hellooooooo???) here is my list:

1. The only reason I'm doing this is because I have really enjoyed reading everyone else's and going "OMG! I love gin and tonics too!", etc.

2. I just watched "Flight of the Conchords" for the first time last night and laughed my ass off.

3. I worry that I won't get tenure.

4. I love cream cheese and black olive sandwiches.

5. I have an unnatural fondness for my label maker. Just thinking about it makes me sigh with contentment.

6. I collect: vintage canisters, Josef figurines, purses, fortune cookie fortunes and vintage linen dishcloths. Among other things.

7. I do not watch the news. Ever. I choose to remain blissfully uninformed.

8. My favorite book is Pride and Prejudice. I read it a few times each year.

9. I like jigsaw puzzles.

10. I love make-up, but seldom wear it. Same for perfume.

11. I don't know what color my parachute is.

12. I am horrible with money, but I'm working on getting better.

13. Sometimes I miss my dad so much I feel like someone punched me in the stomach.

14. Sometimes I love my kids so much I feel like I can't breathe.

15. I distrust people who don't swear or laugh at politically incorrect jokes. Retards are funny, people! Lighten up.

16. I am always surprised at how much I like my family up close.

17. I think the most important thing you can do is to be generous. I usually don't feel like I am generous enough.

18. I adore my husband.

19. I don't walk my dogs as much as I should.

20. I would have a zillion kids if Brian would let me. But he won't.

21. I wish my hair were different.

22. I don't scrapbook, but I desire to have all the tools and papers and everything else.

23. I love fabric stores and hardware stores.

24. I secretly love Martha Stewart.

25. I am happier than I ever thought I would be.

Three Things I Love About Each of my Children, Right Now.

2009-01-26T20:46:00.000-08:00

Jack:
1. They way he comes up to me randomly throughout the day and says "I love you mama!"
2. They way it takes him forever to lay out the most simple of plans; "I'm going to the kitchen to get a glass of water" can take upwards of 5 minutes to explain. But he is just so earnest and cute while doing it.
3. When he talks about what he is going to do "now that he's BIG".

Cate:
1. Her signature "scribble scrabble" drawing style; this is how she describes her pictures that consist of elaborate looping squiggles in many colors. When she first called them 'scribble scrabbles' I thought it was a pejorative term and that she was frustrated that she couldn't make anything else. Silly me. 'Scribble scrabble' is an ART.
2. Her dramatics. Actually it's kind of a love/hate thing. The weeping and wailing send me to the end of my tether, but at the same time they kind of crack me up. She certainly is a character.
3. When she pads into our room, eyes still full of sleep, and crawls into bed with me saying "Mama, I need to cuddle you". Ahhhhhhh.

Ava:
1. Her voice. It's part muppet, part helium tank. It makes me smile just to hear it.
2. Her awareness. Nothing gets past those blue eyes.
3. How proud she is of her accomplishments. I never want that to stop for her; I hope she will always be able to look at what she done and feel "Yes, I AM good at that!".

Danielle, Patron Saint of Cats

2009-01-22T11:11:00.000-08:00

I don't know if there really is a patron saint for cats, but knowing the Catholics as I do I would not be surprised. Nonetheless my friend Danielle now gets the honor as for the last 2 weeks she has been ftaking care of 3 of the sickest cats I have ever seen, and they are not even hers. I'm talking "i.v. fluids" sick. Her family is thinking about getting a pet so she thought it would be a great idea to foster some animals first to determine which type of pet would best suit their lifestyle. The idea was to foster a cat and then a dog. She contacted a cat rescue organization and it just so happened that they had 3 cats (a mother and two grown daughters) that needed to be placed *immediately*. Three was more than she was bargaining for, but what the heck right? So they bring them over and they promptly begin wretching, snarffling and dying.

Let me repeat: she has been taking care of these animals for two weeks now. While she gets ready for the Spring semester. While her husband is out of town.

Quite simply I am amazed by this woman. Her energy puts my feeble efforts to shame. The cats are improving under her constant care, but man! What a long row to hoe......so today's post is just a giant shout-out to Danielle for her hard work and huge heart. You have earned your place in cat heaven.

Why I Love My Friends, Reason #78,456

2009-01-16T16:40:00.000-08:00

Brian is in Miami at the moment, and then next week he is gone again to San Diego. Although it is getting easier to handle the kids on my own as they get older, it's still nice to have the company of another adult while I'm doing it. So last week I put out an SOS to my girlfriends in an attempt to secure some grown-up company.....

Within 1 hour I had a dinner date for every night that Brian was gone and a playdate for the Saturday that he is away. There are no words for how supported I feel by this wonderful community of friends.

Fighting the Good Fight

2009-01-16T16:26:00.001-08:00

I remember going to my friend's homes and offering to do the dishes after dinner, or clearing my plate, or just not writing obscenities on the walls, and my mother saying "why don't you do that at home?".

I left the kids with Jenna the Brave (as she will hereafter be known) last night so as to get a little mommy R&R, and as I was driving back to retrieve them I got the following texts:

Text 1: Your kids r awesome!

Text 2: In fact they r so well behaved that its almost creepy.

When I arrived at her house she regaled me with stories about how they said "please" and "thank you" and complimented the food ("This is delicious!") and insisted on eating their snacks at the table. So clearly she was watching some other set of triplets that happened to look like mine, because mine NEVER DO THIS AT HOME. If I had a nickel for every time I have shouted at the top of my lungs "Eat at the table!!!" I would be writing this from a beach in France.

So here is my conclusion: all that yelling, talking to brick walls, admonitions falling on deaf ears? Worth it! They actually do take it all in; they just don't do it at home. Which, in a way, is fine. I'm not teaching them good manners and habits to make MY life better or easier (not that it wouldn't be nice). I'm doing it to make THEIR lives better and easier. So while I would love it if they would behave well and follow the rules all the time, I am buoyed up by the thought that even if they aren't perfect little angels at home they do a darn good impression when they are outside the confines of my watchful eye.

Now if I could just get them to pick up their toys......

Apparently they ARE capable of listening.

2008-12-07T21:43:00.000-08:00

We are driving home from school the other night. It is dark and we are on the look-out for Christmas lights. As we near the big intersection near our neighborhood Jack spots a house with several large inflatable figures, including a Santa with a sleigh. "Mommy look! Go down that street!" he begs, but it's kind of a weird, sharp turn and at this time (~5:00pm) there is a line of cars going the other direction that blocks our way. "I can't turn honey; those other cars are in our way". "Are they Indians?" asks Cate. ????? "Indians? I'm not sure what you mean honey?" "Last time when there were cars in our way you said they were In-Dians. You said 'Get out of my way you In-Dians'".
Ahem. Yes, well. Mommy says a lot of things when she is driving.

Home Again

2008-11-29T19:57:00.000-08:00

Let's set the scene, shall we?

Jack, footie pajamas unzipped and around his ankles, wearing a red gingham hairband and a goofy grin. Ava, in footie pajamas and wings, rubbing some kind of goo into his stomach. Cate gleefully jumping on the bed nearby in her underwear.

Me: What are you doing?

Cate: We're making him a guard!

Me: What are you rubbing on him?

Cate: Lotion!

Me: Why?

Ava: Because mom, I'm trying to rub it OFF.

I'm not even going to try to figure this one out.

Little Big Man

2008-11-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

My baby boy is heading off to his first big-boy sleepover today. He will be sleeping over at Ady's house with her son, Junior, who is a year older. On the way to school today Jack said "Junior is my best friend. And Buzz Lightyear". So big, so little.

Happy 4th Birthday!

2008-10-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

My babies are 4 years old today!! Hard to believe, but true. In honor of the day, please indulge me in a little "Then and Now":

Jack THEN and NOW:

Cate THEN:

Cate NOW:

Ava THEN:

Ava NOW:

You've come a long way babies!!

Know Yourself

2008-10-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

Ava: What is Jack's name?
Me: You tell me. What is Jack's name?
Ava: Jack!
Me: And what is Jack's middle name?
********cricket cricket*********
Ava: Bernard?
Me: Yes!
Ava: What is Jack's last name?
Me: Well, Jack's last name is the same as *your* last name.....?
Cate: I know! Carlsonkids!!